The 18-year-old, a Sanford Collegiate alumni, was inspired to attempt a 100-kilometre non-stop run, dubbed Change is Possible, around Birds Hill Provincial Park on April 27 to raise money for and awareness of international non-profit Pollinate Group.
Pollinate Group works with women in India and Nepal to provide a range of quality life-improving products, such as solar lights, to their peers. The solar lights are meant to lessen impoverished people's reliance on kerosene for lighting thereby saving them money and reducing air pollution.
An engineering student at the University of Manitoba, Pasieczka also belongs to the UMEARTH group that brings together students who are concerned about the environment. He was one of the members who attended a conference on sustainability in engineering in Prince George, B.C. in February. He said he heard experts speak about the need for conserving resources and using renewable energy sources but didn't learn anything about specific actions that can be taken.
"Following the conference I felt pretty depressed about the pathway humanity is on in relation to the environment. Many people my age are cynical about the influence they can have, or the impact of their actions to make a real difference," Pasieczka said.
After returning to Manitoba, he searched for an organization actively changing the future and found Pollinate Group.
While India and Nepal (where Pollinate Group works) and Canada are culturally different, Pasieczka feels that we can all learn a lot from each other and adopt each other's models of success and speed up the transition to cleaner alternatives too.
He hopes to study electrical engineering and has earned certification as a solar panel installer.
Later this month Pasieczka will represent Canada at the Clean Energy Ministerial / Mission Innovation Ministerial in Vancouver, where world leaders from more than 25 countries will attend to tackle energy issues.
"I look forward to representing our country and showing how the people of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and the world are supportive of the energy changes we need to see now so our economies, environment and communities can prosper for generations to come." he said.
When interviewed on April 24, Pasieczka admitted that he was nervous about his upcoming run although he has been training.
Donations made at will be matched until May 10.
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