N.L. man embarking on arctic journey to benefit The Gathering Place
Rene Ritter looking to raise $10,000 for the organization by skiing across Greenland
A Newfoundlander's arctic journey on skis through the Greenland ice cap will be more than just a grueling test of stamina.
Rene Ritter says he is following in the footsteps of pioneering arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen and crossing Greenland from the community of Isortoq to Kangerlussuag in August.
But when he straps on his boots and travels north for his 540 km, month-long trip, he'll be skiing for The Gathering Place in St. John's too.
The Gathering Place is an organization in St. John's dedicated to helping people in the community by providing things like nutritious meals, a space to socialize, and support to those in need.
In just under two weeks, a GoFundMe page for The Gathering Place in honour of Ritter's journey has already received over $1,000 in donations.
Ritter told CBC News on Tuesday that all proceeds from the GoFundMe will go directly to The Gathering Place.
Long planned trip
Ritter said he had long planned to take the trip, but said it wasn't until recently that he realized he could complete it and help out an organization he believes in.
"It's been a dream of mine for a long time to do something of this magnitude," he said.
"I found out about The Gathering Place and the amazing work they do here and I just felt interested."
He said he contacted the organization's coordinator and instantly knew that fundraising for them was something he needed to do to.
"I thought it was just a place where homeless people come and get food but it's so much more than that," said Ritter.
"In May, I had a chance to volunteer here for a bit and really became acquainted with all of the programs that are run here."
Place to get help
Resource Coordinator Valerie Geary said that when she first heard of Ritter's plan to help out the organization, she was pleased with his out-of-the-box thinking.
Geary was especially appreciative of how Ritter visited and spent a week getting to know the organization.
"He really got to experience every part of Gathering Place," she said.
"From the kitchen, to computer lab, to the social area...he got to know many of the guests and some of the stories that were behind of why they're actually here."
Geary said that it's a busy time for The Gathering Place, as more people in the area find themselves in a financial crunch in the wake of this year's budget.
"Our numbers are certainly increasing. We look at over 230 per day that we're feeding here," she said.
"It seems like most of our guests kind of got hit with some of the things that come in the budget."
Confident in journey
On Aug. 17, Ritter will depart on his expedition, and he said he's hoping to hit his $10,000 funding goal before he reaches Kangerlussuag and completes his trip a month later.
With nearly a month to go before he heads out, he said he's not sweating the dangers of such a long trip.
"You're dealing primarily with weather-related issues and also crevices, which are openings in the ice cap that are covered by snow that can be potentially hazards. But overall, I don't really have a whole lot of concerns with respect to safety."
"I guess if I had a concern, [it's] probably being injury free and the weather."
If anyone following from home wants to track Ritter's progress, he said they'll be able follow his Facebook page Ski Greenland 2016.
"You'll be able to see where I am as I go across and make my way to the other side," he said.
With files from Carolyn Stokes