Live Below the Line calls on Canadians to join the $1.75 challenge and eradicate extreme poverty
TORONTO, April 24, 2013 /CNW/ - The countdown is on, only five days to go before the first Canadian Live Below the Line challenge officially begins. From April 29 to May 3, 2013, participants will spend only $1.75 per day on all food and drink, the Canadian equivalent of the extreme poverty line. The challenge aims to spark a national dialogue to change the way Canadians think about the choices made every day by those living in extreme poverty. In addition to raising awareness, Canadians are raising funds for four partner organizations: Cuso International, Spread the Net, RESULTS Canada and Raising the Village.
Canadians are encouraged to sign up, donate and learn more about the challenge by visiting www.livebelowtheline.ca. From Squamish, B.C. to St.John's, N.L., hundreds of Canadians have already joined the challenge with their classmates, colleagues and communities. Live Below the Line aims to enlist over 1,000 additional challenge participants and is confident to meet this goal. In preparation for the five day challenge, Canadians are encouraged to sign up with family members and friends to support one another, pool resources and conduct group grocery shopping trips.
"Living on $1.75 per day is not about pretending to be poor," says Erin Deviney, Canadian Campaign Manager, Live Below the Line. "It's about raising awareness of the difficult choices 1.4 billion people must make to survive each day and supporting partner organizations directly combating extreme poverty. We're calling all Canadians to join us in the challenge, sign up, donate and support. Come on Canada, let's make the change together!"
Several Canadian celebrities have stepped up to support the Live Below the Line initiative, Lost Girl star Zoie Palmer, and Aaron Abrams from the new TV series Hannibal have lent their voices to the campaign. Ennis Esmer, Canadian actor, comedian and Osman 'Oz' Bey of CTV's The Listener and Carrie-Lynn Neals of Citytv's SEED are taking the challenge themselves.
"I chose to participate in the Live Below the Line challenge not only to support the cause, but also to experience on a very small scale what it might be like to live restricted by $1.75 a day," says Esmer. "This initiative has really made me think twice about my every day conveniences, such as eating a bowl of ice cream for breakfast."
To register and for more information about Live Below the Line, visit www.livebelowtheline.ca. Join the Live Below the Line community on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lblca), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/lblca, #livebelowca), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/lblca, and Instagram http://instagram.com/lblca).
About Live Below the Line
Live Below the Line is a campaign created by the Global Poverty Project
which challenges people to Live Below the Line for five days, raising
funds for and awareness of the 1.4 billion people who live below the
line every day. Live Below the Line believes that to tackle extreme
poverty, we must first understand it. Live Below the Line gives
participants a unique glimpse into the lives of those living in extreme
poverty. www.livebelowtheline.ca
The Global Poverty Project
The Global Poverty Project is an international education and campaigning
organization with the vision of a world without extreme poverty. The
Global Poverty Project exists to increase the number and effectiveness
of people taking action to end extreme poverty. Most recently, the
Global Poverty Project ran the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park
in New York City, headlined by K'naan and Neil Young. This festival
was attended by 50,000 people, and resulted in $1.3 billion in new
funding commitments from 10 leading US based international
non-governmental organisations. www.globalpovertyproject.com
Video with caption: "Are you ready to Live Below the Line? Take the $1.75/day challenge. Visit www.livebelowtheline.ca". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130424_C8209_VIDEO_EN_25936.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130424_C8209_PHOTO_EN_25936.jpg&clientName=Live%20Below%20the%20Line&caption=Are%20you%20ready%20to%20Live%20Below%20the%20Line%3F%20Take%20the%20%241%2E75%2Fday%20challenge%2E%20Visit%0D%0Awww%2Elivebelowtheline%2Eca&title=LIVE%20BELOW%20THE%20LINE%20%2D%20Canadians%20voice%20a%20hunger%20for%20change&headline=Canadians%20voice%20a%20hunger%20for%20change
SOURCE: Live Below the Line
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