Veteran Cloverdale paramedic Will Rogers arrived at the Tsawwassen shoreline bright and early on Sunday (June 24) to begin the first leg of his 2012 Million Dollar Journey.
Rogers, a 53-year-old father of three, swam the 22-kilometres from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal to Sturdies Bay on Galiano Island in support of the Servants Anonymous Society of Surrey (SAS).
The society supports women and victimized youth who are looking for a way out of the sex trade industry. It runs safe homes, provides schooling and life skills training, and helps sexually exploited teens rebuild their lives by boosting their self esteem and offering practical life and occupational skills training.
The second leg of Rogers' journey is a 440-kilometre bike ride that will take him from Penticton to Victoria (June 30 to July 1).
He’ll then run from Penticton to Victoria on the final leg, a 500-kilometre run he plans to complete July 9 to 22.
Rogers says his immediate goal is to sign up a minimum of 10,000 individuals for a commitment of $20 a month. Over two years this would put $5 million dollars in a foundation account that could generate enough equity to run SAS on an ongoing basis, with the goal to expand the operation to another community.
For more information, or to donate, visit www.willrogers.ca.
—With files from The Cloverdale Reporter