A B.C. activist who is running through B.C. in an effort to spread his joy of music has reached the final leg of his tour.
Lyle Povah is the man in front of the Drum Run Adventure Tour, where he runs between two B.C. communities while hauling his collection of 100 drums with him in a transport vehicle.
“Our goal is to build awareness, build community and raise funds for the BC Children’s Hospital — and in particular the child life department,” Povah told Global News. “One of the child life department’s goals is to help kids be kids at the hospital.”
Community members were encouraged to attend his drumming meets to make music together.
Povah previously completed runs from Victoria to Campbell River, Kamloops to the Osoyoos and Prince Rupert to Prince George along the Highway of Tears. After he completes the final leg of the tour — which starts in Hope and ends in Vancouver — he will have passed through 25 B.C. cities traversing more than 1,500 kilometres.
On Saturday, once he reached Vancouver, Vancouver police escorted him down East Hastings Street.
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“We are having a final celebration party at the BC Children’s Hospital on Nov. 21,” Povah said. “(The community reaction) has really spurred me on to continue. Even the truckers when they pass me, they pass in the (furthest) lanes so they don’t splash me (when it’s raining).”
Povah offered a final message of advice for those who wish to do something meaningful for others in their communities.
“If you try something that is a little bit difficult and you achieve it and people call you crazy … you just moved from thinking about doing something to doing it. And once you’ve done it, it is not crazy anymore,” he said.
People can donate to the fundraiser online. The tour has raised more than $8,200 so far online, and according to an organizer, has raised $40,000 in cash and cheque donations on the tour as well.
Global News has reached out to BC Children’s Hospital for comment.
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