JOURNEY FOR KIDS

Journey for kids

You may remember that Clayton Giles is a 14-year-old Canadian boy who went on a hunger strike and picketed the Calgary, Alberta, Canada courthouse until he was granted the right to live with his father. He has now begun a trans-continental bike trek in support of children's rights to have both parents. He certainly deserves all the support we can give him.

Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001 18:05:59 -0700

From: Caring Dad <CaringDad@custodyreform.com>
To: caringdad <caringdad@custodyreform.com>
Subject: Clayton Giles cross continent trip

Greetings Allies,
 To those of you who are new on the list; welcome.  To those who would like to get off the list; please let me know, I will remove you immediately.  If you have already seen this, I apologize for the duplication.  This message is to inform about Clayton Giles' cross continent trip to raise awareness of the rights of children post divorce.  Below are reproduced several articles.  Thanks and Good Luck.
Caring Dad

We are searching for city coordinators (see Clayton's site:
http://www.legalkids.com/forms/citycoord.htm) and other interested individuals in Niagara Falls (7/22), Buffalo, NY (7/24), Syracuse, NY (7/28), Utica, NY (7/31), Pittsfield, MA (8/6), Springfield, MA (8/8), Worcester, MA (8/10), Boston, MA (8/12), Providence, RI (8/15),

Hartford, CT (8/17), Bridgeport, CT (8/19, Trenton, NJ (8/26), Philadelphia (8/29),

Baltimore, MD (9/2), and, of course cities and towns enroute.

Any contact assistance you can provide will assist Clayton enormously.  Please re-distribute the press release and message from Eric Giles (Clayton's father) to all you can.

Thank you!

Michael F. Austin
Austin PR
212-254-6698
518-374-7474
917-670-2448, cell

Journey for Kids - Clayton Giles
legalkids, inc., 403-870-5437
contact: Michael F. Austin, 518-374-7474, michael@austinpr.com

For Immediate Release

14-yr. Old Clayton Giles Bikes from Calgary to Washington, D.C. with Petition to Preserve Children's Access to Divorcing Parents

Niagara Falls, NY, July 9, 2001 - Clayton Giles, a 14-yr. old Canadian boy, is biking over 3,600-miles to raise awareness and collect petition signatures calling for an end to undue court interference in the relationship between children and their parents during divorce.  Journey for Kids is Clayton's call for family law reform to stop harmful court rulings that routinely separate children from a loving parent's care and protection.  The Journey for Kids petition can be considered and signed on www.legalkids.com.

"Journey for Kids is dedicated to every child of separation or divorce," says Clayton. "We want those who have the power to make decisions for us to consider the child's input and adopt the principle that, except in extraordinary cases, parenting should always be shared by both our parents. Access to both our parents is the Human Right of every child."

Clayton began Journey for Kids from Calgary, Alberta, Canada on May 27, 2001, crossing the continent to Toronto and Ottawa.  On July 22 (International Parents Day), Clayton will be met on both sides of the Canadian/USA border at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, by an international group of supporters and advocates for change in family law.

From Niagara Falls, Clayton will ride across the US Northeast on his way to present President George W. Bush with a signed petition on behalf of kids. On his journey, he will reach Niagara Falls (7/22), Buffalo, NY (7/24), Rochester, NY (7/26), Syracuse, NY (7/28), Utica, NY (7/31), Schenectady & Albany, NY (8/3) Pittsfield, MA (8/6), Springfield, MA (8/8), Worcester, MA (8/10), Boston, MA (8/12), Providence, RI (8/15), Hartford, CT (8/17), Bridgeport, CT (8/19), New York City (8/22), Trenton, NJ (8/26), Philadelphia (8/29), Baltimore, MD (9/2), Washington, DC (9/6).

Journey for Kids (not a fund-raising event) is the expression of Clayton Giles personal commitment to the preservation of the child-parent relationship.  Journey for Kids is funded by Legalkids, Inc., a Canadian corporation established by the Giles family.  Legalkids Inc. accepts expense donations by mail at: Legalkids Inc., P.O. Box 87035, Douglas Square R.P.O., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2Z 3V7 (please make checks payable to Legalkids, Inc.) and by credit card on Clayton's web site at: www.legalkids.com.

A Message From Eric Giles (Clayton's father)

Journey for Kids is child-focused and for that reason has received a very favorable response from the public and the media. Those who might be skeptical of such an endeavor by an adult are reassured by Clayton's youth and by his steadfast refusal to become involved in adult issues. Clayton Giles has no gender-bias or hidden agenda. He has no political affiliations. His message is clear - let children be children and let them be so with both parents.

You will not see me in any TV broadcast or newspaper, or hear me on any radio program.  I respect Clayton's desire to make Journey for Kids just what it is - a journey for kids.  I ask that those who wish to help Clayton accomplish his goals should do so in an unobtrusive manner as individuals, like myself, and not as identifiable groups with known adult agendas. It would be a terrible shame if the courage and determination of a fourteen-year-old boy were sacrificed in favor of adult rhetoric.

Journey for Kids has cost in excess of thirty thousand dollars to date, with further bills to be paid, such as the rental of the motor home, when the Clayton returns to Calgary.  Almost this entire amount has come from Canadian sources but that is irrelevant to Clayton's desire to extend his Journey for Kids into the USA. There was never any doubt in Clayton's mind, when he first conceived of this journey, that he should include America in his planning.  He knew that the same problems being experienced by Canadian children were also a burden for American children.  Clayton likes the United States and he likes the American people and therefore that is where he is going.

Clayton needs help to complete Journey for Kids.  If you can approach hotels or campgrounds in your area to offer complimentary accommodation, that would be greatly appreciated. Meals offered by restaurants and fuel offered by transportation companies is gratefully accepted. Donations in any amount you can afford get Clayton closer to Washington to deliver his petition. And if you are unable to offer anything but your signature on his petition, he will accept that with a smile and a thank-you.

Donations are accepted at: http://www.legalkids.com/
Best regards,
Eric Giles