Variety BC Helps Make Life-Changing Outdoor Experiences More Accessible to Our Students

Variety - the Children’s Charity of BC has raised $50,000 in funding to help provide the Take a Hike classrooms with a brand-new 24-passenger vehicle, enabling more of our students greater access to the life-changing outdoor experiences and community involvement integral to their success. The new vehicle is Variety BC’s 603rd Sunshine Coach and was presented to Take a Hike staff during the 53rd Annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon which aired live on Global BC in February.

The bus will provide Take a Hike students with safe and efficient transportation to three multi-day expeditions each year, including weekly “Out Day” adventure-based learning experiences where students develop social and emotional skills while completing regular high school curriculum. Students also participate in 60 volunteer hours each year to give back their time and energy to the communities that support them. This year students are helping Metro Parks Vancouver remove invasive species and plant trees to help regenerate forestland. In the first week of taking ownership of the new bus we sent a full classroom of 18 students and four staff on a 4-day winter snowshoeing expedition to the Tetrahedron Mountain Range on the Sunshine Coast.

We are so grateful to Variety BC, Coastal Ford and all the donors for supporting our students and programs and making this vehicle possible.