On the back of his horse, he has been through Vegreville, Vermillion, Lloydminster and Kitscoty, Alta. and Maidstone and Paynton, and plans to be in Halifax by early August.
One of the founding members of the Angel Express, Alick Brooke is riding across the country to raise money, raise awareness, and simply bring attention to the "epidemic" of child sexual abuse.
Brooke arrived in North Battleford May 17, and stopped by the Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre May 18 to talk to the staff and media before continuing his journey.
The ride has been an emotional one for Brooke, who worked for 29 years with children's services. For eight years, he had the "privilege or misfortune" to work with youth at the Yellowhead Youth Centre, a group care facility in Edmonton for 12- to 17-year-olds. As he described it, he had wanted to ride a horse when he retired. But rather than simply riding, he decided to do it "for kids."
His ride has an ambitious goal: to raise $1 million for organizations that support victims of sexual abuse. But the figure of one million is not arbitrary. As Brooke explains, there are currently around three million girls under the age of 18 in Canada. According to current statistics, one in three will be sexually abused in their life.
"It really shouldn't be too much to ask of Canadians. One dollar a girl."
The number quoted by Brooke belies another sobering truth about child sexual abuse. Though news reports discuss the perpetrators, especially in high-profile, sensationalist cases, the vast majority of victims never receive coverage. This leads to myths, misconceptions, and self-delusion.
"It's not in our community, or it's in that group of people. I really don't care whether you drive a Mercedes, or who you are. You want to see a potential sex abuse victim? Look at your daughter, look at your son."
According to Brooke, the trip so far has been "windy." But every other aspect of the trip - the horses, hosts and visits - has gone well.
"When we set out, we knew we would have to rely on the country people, and their big hearts. And we've only had to stay in one truck stop."
The Battlefords were no exception, and Brooke found accommodation and pasture for his horses at the Sunshine Ranch.
Brooke planned the trip for three years before setting out, and made transparency a goal of his operation. When he arrives in Halifax, in mid-to late-August, one of his goals is to have given out all of the money he has raised to different organizations.
"Guy [Brooke's riding companion] and I don't get paid for doing any of this. All the money we get after we've paid for diesel and food will go to organizations that help kids. What we're going to do is publicly post a financial statement; the Angel Express Society should have no money in the bank at the end of the ride."
As for the future, Brooke was cautiously optimistic. Sexual abuse is not a problem that will disappear, but treatment for victims can be improved and popular misconceptions dispelled. He also hoped that his ride could inspire others to "get the ball rolling," by creating their own fundraisers or simply by speaking about child sexual abuse more honestly.
"This is an epidemic. It's not going to go away."
For more information about Brooke's ride, visit www.theangelexpress.com or search "The Angel Express" on Facebook.
