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EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/06/13 -- There are two photos associated with this press release.

More than 1,000 Edmonton youth and teachers participated in a water walk today to launch day one of Free The Children's We Walk 4Water campaign, presented by SUBWAY® restaurants, where double amputee and Me to We motivational speaker Spencer West will trek 300 km from Edmonton to Calgary on his hands and in his wheelchair to raise money for Free The Children. Money raised will support Free The Children's Water Initiative, a year-long campaign to provide 100,000 people around the world with permanent sources of clean water.

Spencer West and his two best friends David Johnson and Alex Meers, who last summer climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and raised more than half a million dollars for Free The Children clean water projects, began their walk today in Edmonton and will travel through Beaumont, Leduc, Millet, Wetaskiwin, Ponoka, Lacombe, Blackfalds, Red Deer, Innisfail, Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs, Crossfield, and Airdrie, with a final stop in Calgary on Thursday, May 16.

Grammy® and Juno Award winner Nelly Furtado; Free The Children co-founder Craig Kielburger; Aislinn Paul and Munro Chambers from the hit TV series DEGRASSI; actor, speaker, author and former U.S. Army soldier J.R. Martinez; Survivor winner, philanthropist, motivational speaker and TV personality Ethan Zohn; amongst others will walk alongside Spencer at certain points throughout the walk to show their support for the cause.

"Spencer is a true inspiration with his indestructible spirit and commitment to helping others," said Nelly Furtado. "With support from Canadians, We Walk 4Water will help people around the world gain access to clean water. After visiting Free The Children's communities in Kenya, I was able to see first-hand the impact access to clean water has on the lives of the people. It's a right everyone should have and I am so proud to walk alongside Spencer and support this cause."

Every weekday between Monday, May 6 and Thursday, May 16, West and his team will join hundreds of students and teachers at local schools, holding rallies to kick-off their own We Walk 4Water fundraising efforts. The general public can join alongside their schools and donate to support Spencer's cause by visiting www.freethechildren.com/wewalk4water.

"Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro last summer with my two buddies Alex and David by my side was life changing, though this new challenge from Edmonton to Calgary could prove to be much more difficult," said Spencer West, Me to We motivation speaker. "Not only will the distance be much longer, but 11 days of walking will put a lot of strain on our joints. But we're ready to endure the physical and mental exhaustion that might come our way for an important cause, and we're counting on Alberta for their help!"

We Walk 4Water is presented by SUBWAY® restaurants along with Co-Chairs of We Walk 4Water, Margot Micallef and Rob Chad. Money raised will support Free The Children's year-long Water Initiative to provide 100,000 people around the world with a permanent source of clean water.