On Friday, May 14th Power To Be kicked off our second Power To Summit Victoria. This virtual event, took place over three days, and had teams working together to cumulatively complete the elevation of Mt. Denali – North America’s tallest peak sitting at 6190 meters.

Traditionally, Power To Be hosts in-person events to raise both awareness and funds for Power To Be. However, with restrictions due to COVID, we pivoted last year to bring our community together virtually. Although apart, the energy was palpable for all involved. Teams had the flexibility to race together (following healthy and safety guidelines), or independently as they tallied their elevation and times together.

We had an impressive 54 teams sign up to complete the challenge and did they ever show up with enthusiasm, energy, and of course, style! From bumble bees in tutus to can-can boa costumes, racers raised awareness both on their hikes, and on social media sharing their adventures and fun through photos, videos, and inspiring messages along the way.

The racers blew through our fundraising goal of $135,000 and raised a staggering $168,202!  The money raised from the event helps to ensure that our participants can continue to access nature, and for that we are so incredibly grateful!

 

“The energy this year was really amazing! To have such a connection throughout the weekend with the racers, while being remote is something we’re really proud of and grateful for. It was so fun hearing about racers bumping into one another on the trail, giving a virtual high five! And hearing about racers engaging with the public sharing about the event and what Power To Be’s programs are all about. We even had bystanders end up donating which was really special,” says Corra-Rose McClung-Sitnam, Corporate Relations Lead at Power To Be.

Racers gained elevation in any way they could. They climbed the local mountains and ran stairs. We even had one team do box jumps to complete the total elevation!

 

Results and Awards

  • Top Fundraising Team: Team Denalijet, who raised $11,655.42
  • Act of Kindness Runner Up: RBC
  • Top Individual Fundraiser: Dave Burden, who raised $8154.36
  • (1st) Fastest Team: Condo Group’s Finest
  • (2nd) Fastest Team: RBC
  • (3rd) Fastest Team: Scotia McLeod & The Mortgage Group
  • Best Dressed Award: Fieri Angel’s
  • TELUS Social Media Challenge Award: OBMG Mast Step Mavens
  • Team Spirit Awards: 
    • (1st place) Go Team Go
    • (2nd place) Ocean Wealth
    • (3rd place) RBC
    • (4th place) Brentwood Bay Resort
    • (5th place) Yes We Can Can

We hope everyone had a blast raising awareness and funds for Power To Be this Power To Summit! Thank you for sharing your stories, costumes, cheers, and adventures. We hope to see you next year for another epic climb.