The Great Heat Aid Walk

The European Heat Aid Great Walk is a multi-country, 880-kilometre endurance trek organized by the Barcelona-based Homeless Entrepreneur Foundation to spotlight—and ultimately reduce—heat-related deaths among people experiencing homelessness. Traversing five nations from Linz, Austria to Madrid, Spain, the initiative weaves public visibility, community engagement, and on-the-ground aid into one continuous, 20-marathon campaign. Central Florida’s six-member delegation will join the eighth through eleventh marathons, hiking from Amsterdam to Brussels via Utrecht, Eindhoven/Tilburg, Turnhout, and Antwerp. Walkers average 40–45 km per day (12–15 August), sleeping two nights outdoors in solidarity with unsheltered residents and two nights at the base camp. The route culminates in a two-day Heat-Aid Outreach Festival (16–17 August) on Brussels’ Grand-Place, featuring free hydration stations, health screenings, policy forums, and first-hand testimonies. Mission & Impact 1. Raise Awareness – Capture media attention on Europe’s escalating urban heatwaves and the disproportionate risk they pose to people without stable housing. 2. Crowdfund Heat-Safety Solutions – Each kilometer walked is tied to pledges that finance cooling centers, mobile hydration units, and emergency supplies across participating cities. 3. Exchange Best Practices – Delegates collaborate with European NGOs and municipal leaders, importing proven heat-mitigation strategies to their home communities. 4. Amplify Voices – The Walk’s daily livestreams and social-media diaries center lived experiences of people who are or have been homeless, turning abstract statistics into personal stories that compel action. Central Florida Delegation Led by the Framily Support Network (FSN), the delegation comprises advocates, outreach professionals, and lived-experience advisors. Their goals: • Represent Central Florida on an international stage of housing-justice leadership. • Document & Disseminate lessons learned for immediate application in Orange County’s heat-safety programming. • Build Partnerships with EU municipalities and NGOs for ongoing transatlantic collaboration. Funding & Support Participation costs $2,000 pp (airfare, ground transport, lodging, accreditation). FSN has applied for an in-kind airfare grant from JetBlue and is actively seeking additional sponsorships, endorsements, and media amplification ahead of the 30 June 2025 commitment deadline. The European Heat Aid Great Walk is more than a physical challenge; it is a moving platform for policy change, resource mobilization, and global solidarity with our most heat-vulnerable neighbors.