SURREY — Local travel agent Jennifer Reynolds is flying to Iceland this summer to help sick kids see their dreams come true.
She’s the lone Surreyite taking part in Flight Centre’s “Wish Trek,†a six-day adventure in August.
In an effort to raise money for Make-A-Wish Canada, the two dozen trekkers will travel 80 kilometres through a volcanic area of Iceland’s Southern Highlands region.
“I’m excited and nervous,†Reynolds told the Now. “It’s a lot of trekking, and I’ve never done anything like this, so it’s a bit of a boundary-pusher for me.â€
Reynolds, a Cloverdale-area resident, works at the Corporate Traveller office in the Gateway Station tower, on 108th Avenue in Surrey.
She and the other trekkers must each raise $2,000 in order to participate in the overseas trip, and also pay for their own way to Iceland.
“I have a fair ways to go still,†Reynolds said of her fundraising efforts. “It’s coming up fast now.â€
The goal of the trek is to raise more than $60,000 to support wish-granting efforts across Canada.
“We’ve done pub nights, raffle draws, company functions (to raise funds),†Reynolds said, “and this weekend (Saturday, May 9), I’m participating in a big garage sale, and all money raised at my sale will go toward this.â€
The sale at her home (16855 58A Ave.) is among more than 100 in the West Cloverdale area included in the 12th annual garage sale organized by local realtor Scott Moe. To view a garage sale map, click here, or visit Moe's blog.
Reynolds says she got involved in the Iceland trek to simply help make a difference.
“I’ve been blessed with healthy children and I think that if anything were to ever come up or happen, I’d want to know that others are helping to make a difference, too,†she explained.
Reynolds is raising funds for her trek online at Chimp.net/groups/jennifer-reynolds-fire-ice-make-a-wish-trek.