The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, according to Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.
The journey across a continent starts with 10 kilometres, says dog devotee Jani White.
That鈥檚 how far White is planning to walk this Sunday to raise money for both the SPCA and the B.C. Children鈥檚 Hospital Foundation in the 麻豆传媒映画Sun Run.
White, who calls herself a 鈥淣orth Van girl,鈥� decided to do her first ever 10 kilometre walk (鈥淚鈥檓 not running.鈥�) while on an 鈥渆xtended visit鈥� to her old hometown.
White had an established practice in England as an acupuncturist with a speciality in fertility.
But as proud as she was of her Harley Street practice, White says she was doing too much and needed to choose between the clinic and her increasingly time-consuming sideline as a lecturer and writer.
She was in her office, preparing a letter of resignation when her landlord called, she says.
鈥淗e says, 鈥楯ani, sorry to say this, I鈥檓 putting the flat on the market.鈥欌��
With 鈥渘o clinic, no home,鈥� White was at a loss.
鈥淚 put my hands forward in total surrender and I asked: 鈥榃hat am I meant to do?鈥欌��
She decided to head back to North America with Millie, her Norwich terrier, and spend time with her mother.
When asked why she chose to walk for the SPCA, White gestures at her dog.
鈥淚 asked Millie,鈥� she answers simply. She picked children鈥檚 hospital because of its standing as an excellent hospital.
鈥淚鈥檓 walking for sick children everywhere,鈥� she says.
White has been training around Lynn Canyon and Lighthouse Park to prepare for the Sun Run while using social media to inform potential Samaritans. White has currently raised $562 toward her $10,000 goal.
She deliberately didn鈥檛 attach a minimum threshold for donations, she says, explaining that generous people on tight budgets can be too embarrassed to chip in.
鈥淲e want 10,000 people to donate just one dollar,鈥� she says. 鈥淐ollectively, we can make an enormous difference.鈥�
White is also planning to make a big difference with her next endeavour, a 鈥渟ocial telethon鈥� called Mooch Across America.聽
鈥淓verything that America believes itself to be is splintering and fracturing,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he way that people are identifying (with) their individual tribes is potentially a big warning sign for democratic nations across the world.鈥�
Her trip is intended to be literally guided by charity. After someone nominates a charity on social media, White says she鈥檒l head to that town and spend 11 hours raising as much money as she can for that charity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a chance for us to reach into small communities and open what they鈥檙e doing to the nation.鈥�
The idea of a cross-country RV trip 鈥渇rom community to community, from cause to cause,鈥� is to raise money for charity while meeting a spectrum of United States citizens ranging from the homeless to the affluent.
The charity drive is intertwined with a podcast series entitled: In Search of American Kindness.
鈥淭he reason this idea swelled up and burst forward the way it did is that we live in a culture where people feel so disempowered and so disenfranchised.鈥�
White says she plans to invite guests into her RV鈥檚 makeshift sound studio, put on a pot of tea, and ask questions about kindness, about family journeys and how about how they fell in the United States.
鈥淒o you feel integrated? Do you feel marginalized?鈥�
The last question of each podcast will be: 鈥淲hat does it mean to you to be an American citizen?鈥� White says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a joyful project.鈥�
White鈥檚 fundraising pages are available at and .
