Canoe Heads for Kids raises more than $1 million to help kids attend summer camp

AmiciCamping Charity, which helps to send children in financial need to summer camp, says it has reached a major milestone in its flagship fundraising effort Canoe Heads for Kids.

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"This year, our goal was to raise $170,000 which we have clipped," event co-chair Stuart Snyder told CBC Toronto.

"We have crossed the $1-million threshold, which is extremely exciting for us, and we're very happy. This is going to provide lots of kids the opportunity to do some things that they perhaps couldn't do, like going to camp for two weeks or longer during the summer."

Snyder saysit takes about $1,000 to send one kidto camp for the summer.

Canoe trip held Saturday

And in Saturday's event,some 160 former campers strapped a canoe totheir backs in ahead-turning downtown canoe trip to benefit the charity.

The volunteers thenembarked on an epic 15-kilometre urban portageand paddlestarting at theHarbourfrontCanoe & Kayak Centre.

Among the volunteers today was Team Canada Olympic snowboarder and Amici Camping CharitysupporterCalynn Irwin.

She told CBC Toronto that she gained a lot from camp while growing up and she is happy to be part of something that provides similar opportunities for other kids.

"I think through going to camp I was able to have so many great role models in my life,"she said.

"I was able to try so many different things, and I was encouraged in every single thing that I tried."

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