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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 31, 2014 | 14 Retired minister takes on 800-km trek in Spain by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Health "Connected to your Community" A 71-year-old, retired Oakville minister is preparing to walk 800 kilometres in 40 days to raise money to benefit programs for underprivileged children in Toronto. On Aug. 18, Jan Hieminga will begin walking Spain's Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route that has been traversed by millions of people since the early 10th Century. The journey will take Hieminga along the south side of the Pyrenees Mountains and past many ancient cities and villages. "I am really looking forward to this for a number of reasons," he said. "I really hope this will get some attention that will benefit the children's program. That's No. 1; No. 2: I am also looking forward to this for myself. It is supposed to be a pilgrimage and that means you take some time to meditate to think about what is important in your life and you have lots of time to do that." The former minister with the Presbyterian Church in Toronto is tackling this challenge in order to raise funds for the Jane/Finch Reaching Up program. The initiative, which is run by the Presbyterian Church, helps children in Toronto's Jane Street and Finch Avenue West area and features an after-school program, which runs from 3:306 p.m., a music school and daily homework club. Hieminga became board chair of this organization two years ago and says there is no shortage of need for it with a survey finding 85 per cent of parents in that neighbourhood are concerned for their children's safety. "We all know that Jane and Finch is a very troubled area. There is a lot of drugs and violence and shootings there," said Hieminga. "We (the Presbyterian Church) have a church right in the centre of Jane and Finch and they decided some time ago they should do something to help in the neighbourhood. "They decided to focus on the children because the philosophy is that if we can keep the children in school and keep them interested and stop them from dropping out, then they will have a chance for an education and a job and get out of this cycle of poverty." They (the Presbyterian Church) decided to focus on the children because the philosophy is that if we can keep the children in school and keep them interested and stop them from dropping out, then they will have a chance for an education... and get out of this cycle of poverty. Retired Oakville minister Jan Hieminga He said the Reaching Up program has been popular, but this has created the additional challenge of finding enough space for all the children who want to participate. The church has looked into the possibility of expanding the building it is currently using and has found the work it wanted to do will cost approximately $5 million. Hieminga is hoping to get the ball rolling by raising $71,000 through his 800-km walk across Spain. Need a Safer WE Can HElp . Call today to speak with our bathroom safety specialists for: · Bath tub replacement showers · Grab bars and shower seats · Elevated toilet solutions · Complete bathroom renovations Bathroom? We are the expertS iN makiNg bathroomS eaSier aNd Safer to uSe. Retired Oakville minister Jan Hieminga, 71, is heading off to Spain in August for an 800-kilometre trek over 40 days to raise money for underprivileged kids in the Jane/Finch area of Toronto. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or www.facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) SageSolutionsGroup www.sagebathrooms.com 905-281-7845 Sage SolutioNS,your oNe-Stop aCCeSSibility SolutioNS provider To prepare for the massive trek, he has been hiking regularly with the Pathfinders Hiking Group of Oakville. The group walks the Bruce Trail, which Hieminga believes actually features rougher terrain than what he will experience in Spain. He has also watched movies about the Camino de Santiago and spoken to people who have walked it to get an idea of what he can expect. Hieminga has received plenty of support from his family, stating his daughter Jen, 36, will be walking with him during the first two weeks and his sons James, 41, and Jeffrey, 40, will be joining in during the last two weeks. Hieminga's wife Lynne, 65, will be waiting for him in Santiago. "They are totally behind this. They think it is fantastic," said Hieminga. "They may think I am a little bit crazy, but that is okay." Even during the periods he is not walking with his family, Hieminga said he doubts he will be alone, with thousands of people walking the Camino de Santiago at any given time. Anyone interested in donating to Hieminga's cause or keeping tabs on his progress can do so at www.reachingup.ca.