‘Friends told us we were the only two individuals crazy enough to undertake anything so enormous,’ said the couple.
On Friday, two Ontario friends performed a fantastic feat for charity: they finished a 32-day journey of P.E.I.’s Island Walk.
By connecting with nature, Silvia Weismann and Lesley Ciarletti created a deep friendship.
Weismann remarked, “Lesley and I connected via certain mental health issues we both fought with at the end of our careers.” “We met together and began walking with our dogs, which has served as a form of therapy for us. And travelling through the woods has been like going to church.”
So it was only logical that Ciarletti would inform her friend about the 700-kilometre path that round the Island on a trip to the province with her husband.
“Friends told us we were the only two individuals crazy enough to accomplish something so enormous and complete it in such a short amount of time,” Ciarletti added.
“By the time my husband and I returned to Ontario, we’d had 11 days to get arranged, and 12 days later, we travelled out here with the intention of seeing what all the excitement was about.”
Weismann and Ciarletti faced rain, thunder, and the cold fall weather on P.E.I. to get a firsthand look at the Island’s beautiful countryside and beautiful ocean views.
Weismann says, “My mother was mortified.”
They also raised money for charity while they were at it. On P.E.I., the couple will donate nearly $2,500 to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Arrived as guests, left as family
Ciarletti produced a spreadsheet with all of the information needed to complete the Island Walk-in 32 days before they left.
“It was the logistics of walking for 32 days between different checkpoints with no transportation and limited options for lodging because a lot of places were closed down,” she explained.
Also Read: Idling is prohibited for City of Charlottetown vehicles under a new rule
