Gold is the symbolic gift for a 50th anniversary.

Lorraine and Chuck Marr are making their 50th all about polymer, or more accurately 鈥� money. They are working to raise $50,000 to mark their marriage milestone.

鈥淲e鈥檝e raised 36,000 so far,鈥� Lorraine said in late March.

The Walnut Grove residents are tirelessly fundraising to help young people and doing it in a novel fashion.

As young newlyweds back in 1973, they did a cross-country camper van trip for their honeymoon.

To mark their 50th, they鈥檝e upgraded the comfort level to an RV, but are recreating the national trip and using it as a fundraiser for Project Resiliency.

Developed and facilitated by a district team of clinical counsellors for all 91原创 School District secondary students, Project Resiliency is a proactive intervention. It 鈥榤eets kids where they鈥檙e at鈥� to offer healthy coping strategies and supports.

Their support for the program is borne out of tragedy, the death of their son, Todd.

鈥淗ad such help been available, perhaps we may still have our son today. He lost his battle with drugs and ultimately his life in 2009,鈥� Chuck said.

Todd hid his drug use and mental health problems. That鈥檚 why the Marrs are supporting Project Resiliency which they say could help save lived. Students can apply for it themselves or parents/guardians or people in the school system can request its involvement if the student agrees.

After the death of their son, they found solace in travel and golf so they are using those as platforms to spread awareness and fundraise.

They have planned out the trip, contacting golf courses, and others along the route. They plan to use brochures, banners to display in the campgrounds, and social media, hopefully to make people aware of the problems. They鈥檒l talk to service clubs and others about the challenges youth face and the need for supports.

While they set out May 1 for their biggest leg of the journey, they鈥檝e done some preliminary travels around British Columbia in early 2023.

During their stop in Victoria, they were able to attend the B.C. Legislature to offer support to Surrey South MLA Eleanor Sturko. The former RCMP officer put forward a private members bill to require physicians and nurse practitioners to gather further information on a person鈥檚 psychological history to better determine whether involuntary admission to care under the Mental Health Act to reduce the risk of self harm.

They wanted to support Sturko because she was there when Todd died. Sturko drove the parents to the hospital after his death.

In the hours before he died in 2009, Marr had been taken to Peace Arch Hospital in obvious distress, but had not been kept there, as there was insufficient information for him to be admitted and treated under the Mental Health Act.

In her capacity as an RCMP officer, Sturko knew that Marr was a risk for self-harm and that he had been released, in her view, prematurely. He ran into traffic and was hit by a car. The Marrs say that trauma continued to have a lasting impact on Sturko who suffered from PTSD.

Since the Marrs started their anniversary fundraiser, they鈥檝e had people reach out to them, many with their own tragedies related to loved ones.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice and we鈥檝e met a lot of wonderful community-minded parents, grandparents and brothers sisters,鈥� Lorraine said.

People can follow their trip through the website . They set out on their national journey at the beginning of May.

For more on how to donate, go to

鈥� With files from Surrey Now-Leader

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鈥� READ MORE: 91原创 couple announces cross country fundraising trip for milestone anniversary

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