For Courtney Allain and the Get REAL team, the annual collaboration between Rainbow Railroad and the Get REAL Movement, both of which support LGBTQI+ individuals, felt like a “natural choice” given the organizations’ overlapping core values.
That may be why the Get REAL Movement is partnering with Rainbow Railroad for the fifth year in a row for a virtual 5K fundraiser.
“[Rainbow Railroad’s] focus on helping people escape life‑threatening persecution felt like a powerful extension of our own work to combat discrimination and build empathy through education,” said Allain, a chapter and events manager at Get REAL. “It felt less like ‘fundraising’ in the traditional sense and more like being part of something with purpose, alongside a bunch of other people who care.”
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The Rainbow Road 5K will help queer families in Canada and across the globe feel safe in workplaces, classrooms, and more. Get REAL works towards that goal by establishing workshops to fight against 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination, racism, and bullying.
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Courtesy: The Get REAL Movement
The organization has raised more than $30,000 for Rainbow Railroad over the last half-decade. This year, they’re hoping to go even farther and meet that $50,000 benchmark.
The collaboration helps bring light and fun to organizations that take on tough work. “Supporting a serious cause doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time—it can be fun, it can build community, and it can bring people together in unexpected ways,” says Allain, who points to a fundraising team that decided to kayak in Lake Ontario from Toronto to support the cause.
Now more than ever, it's important to show how similar causes can lift each other up, instead of “competing for audiences, dollars, time, and exposure,” she adds.
“I don’t think safety should be a privilege—I think it should be a right,” says Allain. “I hope our fundraising efforts help move us closer to that, while also helping people recognize that what feels “normal” or “safe” for them isn’t the reality everywhere.”
The 5K will officially take place on Friday, June 26th, though participants can choose to take part in the fun at any point before then.
Want to join in on the fun? Sign up for the Rainbow Road 5k or consider hosting your own fundraiser for Rainbow Railroad, today.