One mile, 60,000 loonies and a single goal of inclusiveness will all come into play this weekend at Coquitlam Centre.

The mall is playing host to a joint fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 27 called the Loonie Mile, an event that's being organized on behalf of both Special Olympics BC and the Kinette Club of Coquitlam.

The day-long event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature a one-mile track winding through the mall, on which donors can lay down their loonies to support initiatives that are spearheaded by the two groups.

The 60,000 figure comes into play because of the fact that it takes roughly that number of loonies lined up next to one another to cover a full mile.

"That's a lot of loonies, but our goal, though, is certainly to fill it," said Lois McNary, vice-president of sport for Special Olympics BC.

"We're going to give it a try this year and go as far as we can go and then build on that year after year."

The donations themselves will be replicated by stickers that look like loonies, and volunteers will be canvassing throughout the mall in an effort to get to the one-mile mark.

"Both Special Olympics and the Kinettes are constantly working to have a face in the community," McNary said.

"Special Olympics in the Tri-Cities services over 200 athletes and that's just scratching the surface.

"So for them, it's about getting out there to say to people, 'Come out, coach, volunteer, participate and donate to that organization.'"

jkurucz@thenownews.com