Almost $7,000 raised in 714 km walk for addictions services on P.E.I.

An Ontario woman has finished The Island Walk, a cross island network of 32 walking trails spanning P.E.I., to raise money for Lennon Recovery House.

Lennon Recovery House is a non-profit organization that provides shelter and services for those struggling with addictions and mental health issues. 

Christine Renaud was visiting P.E.I., and wanted to try to walk across the Island and blog about it, but she wanted to do it with a purpose. She lost the father of her first child to drug addiction and thought raising money to help others dealing with addiction could give her that purpose. 

"I have also known other folks, friends, I think me like many people are touched by these kind of tragedies and sometimes we don't even know that - or we just still know people right now who are struggling," Renaud said.

Renaud started the walk on Sept. 3rd and finished on Saturday, Oct 2nd, she travelled 714 kilometres in total.

"I walked average around 20 to 30 a day, I mostly did in the mid 20s. I did a few over 30 kilometre days."

People with homes close to the trail often gave her a place to stay, Renaud's brother was one of them. 

As of Sunday afternoon Renaud had raised $6,960 just $40 shy of her $7,000 goal — but she was confident that donation would come in by Monday morning.

"I think the work a place like Lennon House does, is just, you know, everyone deserves a chance to recover if that's what they choose."

Renaud is also an artist and hoped some of the money donated could be used for art programs at Lennon House.

The non-profit held its first art therapy session for residents on Friday, according to  Dianne Young, the director of Lennon House.

"We actually have a couple of staff that are quite artistic and they already do some art with them, but now since Christine has specifically raised this money for art therapy we have the program on Friday mornings," she said.

"It's just very heart warming because this lady came all the way from Ontario, not even from our province... It is mind blowing to think this woman walked all that way."

Young has already used some of the money to buy art supplies. She said the plan is to invite Island artists who may be interested in volunteering to teach residents about art and its therapeutic values.

Though Renaud finished her walk, people can still donate to the cause for another month through Renaud's blog.