Kelowna residents laced up their sneakers this Saturday and took 10,000 steps for CAREsa国际传媒檚 Walk In Her Shoes event.

"We had between 20 to 25 people come out and raised just over $2,000 for CAREsa国际传媒檚 programs empowering women and girls," said organizer Christine Parsons.

" We were really pleased with this inaugural event in the Okanagan and are looking forward to growing the event in years to come."

The event aimed to cover the average distance too many women and girls travel to fetch basic essentials like water and food.

That's the equivalent of walking from Rock Creek Highway to the airportsa国际传媒攍eaving little time for getting an education or earning an income. CAREsa国际传媒檚 more than 70 years of experience has proven that when you empower women and girls, you can help women, families, and entire communities escape poverty and overcome adversity.

sa国际传媒淚 truly believe in the power of women and girls to make the world a better place for all and so I am honoured to help bring this initiative to the Okanagan,sa国际传媒� said Wendy Wright, a Kelowna resident, child advocate and volunteer organizer of Saturdaysa国际传媒檚 event.

Walk In Her Shoes, in its first year in the Okanagan, is held annually in communities across Canada and around the world. Last month, hundreds gathered in Vancouver and Calgary to walk 10,000 steps on March 6, just in advance of International Womensa国际传媒檚 Day.