UNBC Timberwolves women’s basketball forward Maggie Mowser is continuing to successfully recover from a recent injury, while also raising money for a charity.
Mowser is participating in the 2021 Move for Meals program for Mary’s Meals Canada.
“Basically they (Mary’s Meals) feed kids in schools in third world countries so that they can get an education. Then the fundraiser event that we’re participating in is called Move for Meals, and basically, people from all over Canada and it has taken place internationally, they sign up and collect donations for kilometres run or however it is that they’re moving,” explained Mowser.
For each kilometre she runs or walks in practice or games Mowser’s sponsors make a contribution to help Mary’s Meals Canada provide a nutritious meal to a child in Africa each school day.
While keeping track of her kilometers has been difficult in games and practices, Mowser says she’s already raised over $700, which is about 70% of her fundraising goal.
Mowser says the Mary’s Meals charity has been very important to her and her family over the past few years.
“A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to get to go to Zambia with my mom to visit some of these schools in person and to actually see how the feeding program works on the ground level because up until then we had only experienced the fundraising part,” she explained.
Mowser says it was amazing to see the charity that she had been so passionate about make such a strong impact on the schools and communities involved.
“They live such basic and simple lives, they don’t have all the technology that we have, they don’t have any of it but something as simple as getting that one meal in school during the day and getting to go to school, which we often take for granted here in Canada, makes them so happy. That’s the one thing that really hits you more than anything else is just how happy they are to have Mary’s Meals.”
She says the trip made her realize how lucky she is to attend UNBC and get an education.
For information on how to support the charity, visit the Mary’s Meals website.