LUNENBURG: For 23 days, Darcy Eygun put one foot in front of the other, running approximately 1,000 kilometres across Nova Scotia in an effort to help put food on the tables of people in need.
Eygun’s cross-province journey began at the Cape North Lighthouse in Saint Margaret Village, Cape Breton, and took him all the way to the Baccaro Point Lighthouse in East Baccaro, on the province’s South Shore.
The 21-year-old Nova Scotian and Saint Mary’s University graduate completed the gruelling journey while raising money and awareness for Feed Nova Scotia.
Along the way, Eygun passed through East Hants, where he was joined for part of the journey by local MPs Kody Blois and Braeden Clark. They were among a number of people across the province who came out to run with Eygun, offer encouragement or cheer him on from the roadside.
Please donate to Darcy’s fundraiser at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/feednovascotia/p2p/NSCoast2Coast/
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In an interview following the run, Eygun said the support he received along the way was one of the highlights of the experience.
He met people who shared their own experiences with food insecurity and the challenges of rising grocery costs, while others offered water, encouragement and donations.
But while the 1,000-kilometre run is now complete, Eygun says the fundraising mission isn’t finished.
He has raised about $11,000 so far for Feed Nova Scotia, but is hoping to add considerably more before the fundraiser closes on August 31.
For Eygun, supporting Feed Nova Scotia was the reason behind the enormous physical challenge.
He says rising grocery prices are putting increasing pressure on Nova Scotia families, and he wanted to use the run to draw attention to the issue of food insecurity across the province.
“This is a fundraiser first and foremost,” Eygun said, emphasizing that the donations and awareness generated by the run are the most important part of the journey.
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The challenge was particularly demanding because Eygun was essentially running a marathon every day for more than three weeks.
It was his first ultra-marathon-style challenge, and he had completed his first marathon only three weeks before beginning the cross-province run.
Despite the physical toll, Eygun says the experience reinforced his connection to Nova Scotia and his desire to give back to the province.
Now, with the running finished, he is concentrating on the fundraising.
Eygun says he still has food-bank visits, videos and meetings planned as he works to raise as much as possible before the August 31 deadline.
The 1,000 kilometres may be behind him, but for Eygun, the finish line isn’t the end of the journey. It’s an opportunity to keep the conversation about food insecurity going and hopefully turn thousands of kilometres into thousands more dollars for Nova Scotians who need a helping hand.
You can donate at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/feednovascotia/p2p/NSCoast2Coast/
