Prince George Newspaper

Globetrotters raising awareness and funds to help street children

Written by SCOTT STANFIELD
Citizen staff   
Wednesday, 19 November 2008



Chris Burton, left, and Tim Dennis are travelling the world with a specially-outfitted vehicle to raise awareness for Street Kids International. (Citizen staff photo)

A man who is driving around the world to raise money and awareness for Street Kids International stopped in Prince George this week.
Tim Dennis of Scotland sold most of his belongings, including his house, to fund his Rambling Rat expedition, in reference to the Year of the Rat (2008)
The 35-year-old said he was inspired by Street Kids International, a Canadian-based organization that has helped upwards of two million children get off the streets in every corner of the world.
"I've taken two years to build up the concept," said Dennis, who made a pit stop Tuesday in Prince George. "I've been doing volunteer work with youth, and I decided I'd sell my house and do this. All sorts of doors have opened since."
His Toyota Landcruiser is literally a home on wheels. It contains a fridge and stove in the rear, a tent and bicycles on the roof and a solar panel on the hood. The front has 14 headlights.
He plans to be on the road for three years.
Before coming to Canada, Dennis drove through the United Kingdom, across Russia and around Japan. In Russia, he had several opportunities to promote the work of Street Kids International through television, newspaper and magazine interviews. In Japan, he spoke at numerous schools, including one that targets students who are excluded from mainstream education.
Aside from the kindheartedness of his gesture, Dennis' mission is personal in nature, harkening to a childhood marked by his own difficulties in school, and by the death of his younger brother, who succumbed to Batten Disease, a rare, degenerative disorder of the nervous system.
"When I was at school I was dyslexic and I had learning problems. So I was always put down," Dennis said. "The main overview (of the trip) is that I love putting stuff back into youth things because I can relate to that myself, and it's the same with Chris."
He was referring to Chris Burton, his American travelling companion, who responded to an advertisement placed by Dennis. The two men connected in Vancouver.
"I was looking specifically for somebody that had some sort of disadvantaged background, and Chris had come through family troubles and gone in the forces, and he seemed a good candidate," Dennis said.
"I'd gone through some rough times," said Burton, 28, whose journey will finish at the end of Dennis' North American leg. "This sounded like something to centre me."
Following a visit with the folks at Northern Toyota in Prince George, Dennis and Burton had their sights on the Yukon and Alaska, from where they will drive across Canada and into the U.S. Dennis will then journey into Mexico, South America, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. He also hopes to detour into Africa.
For more information, visit www.ramblingrat.com