Two friends, Amanda Gracia and Samantha Ruth, from Toronto, turned a fun walking adventure into a way to help people in need.

The friends recently walked along Toronto’s Line 2 subway route, a 30-kilometre walk ending their journey at Kipling Station. Their journey was captured and shared online, which caught the attention of the community and went viral. While their original goal was to raise $1,000 to help those in need, they ended up raising nearly $2,000 to fight food insecurity in Toronto.

Samantha Ruth, 26, and Amanda Gracia, 24, turned their love of walking into a fundraiser to help people struggling to afford food. After walking half of Toronto’s Line 1 subway route last year and going viral on social media, they decided to walk the entire 30-kilometre Line 2 route this year.

Samantha works in marketing and volunteers with the Out of the Cold Foundation, which provides food, shelter, and clothing to people in need. Amanda, a dietitian, happily joined her friend to support the cause.

On Sept. 5, the two friends set out on their long walk, carrying an extra pair of shoes, with a goal of raising $1,000. By Sept. 9, they had raised nearly $2,000, almost double their target. Along the way, the friends enjoyed the adventure, strengthened their friendship, and discovered how much they could accomplish when they worked together to help others.

Source: Aia Jaber, The Green Line