MEDICINE HAT, AB — A Medicine Hat women is going on a trek across the largest desert in the world in order to raise money for a local charity.
Sarah Mackenzie with Medicine Hat Royal Lepage is joining a team of 120 other Royal Lepage employees in Canada to walk across the Sahara Desert.
It’s a five-day, 100 kilometre walk in Morocco, Africa. She says she’ll be in a group of about 20 other people, all carrying their supplies and tenting each night.
Mackenzie is one of 6 Albertans going on the trip, and the only one from Medicine Hat.
To go on the trip in November, she needs to fundraise $5000, but for her goal, she decided to double that.
“My goal is to raise $10,000. 80 per-cent of that $10,000 would go to the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society with the remaining 20 per cent going to prevention programs across Canada so that we can help break the cycle of violence,” says Mackenzie.
The Sahara Desert is one of the driest and hottest regions in the world, with average summer temperatures around 40 Celsius.
As a result, Mackenzie has an intense training schedule ahead of her.
“I’m actually working with a trainer, Shane with Temple Fitness,” says Mackenzie. “He’s got be on a rigorous training schedule.”
Mackenzie says the main reason she’s going on the trip is to raise money for the women’s shelter.
“67 per cent of Canadians know somebody who’s been affected by domestic violence and I think that it would be great if we could just support those people,” says Mackenzie. “If we could be a part of affecting change.”
But she also hopes to learn about herself, and hopefully inspire her family as well.
“This is completely out of my bubble, I’ll be able to push new limits and learn a little about myself,” says Mackenzie. “I want to motivate my kids to do whatever they want to do and not only about giving back but the skies the limit with whatever they want to do.”
Visit Mackenzie’s fundraising page for more information or to donate.
