NEWS RELEASE
CROHN’S AND COLITIS CANADA
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On June 2, join 4,600-plus Canadians, including an estimated 1,400 from Barrie, who will show the 344,000 people in Canada living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis that they are not alone.
With a new diagnosis every 44 minutes in Canada, the need is more urgent than ever for the funds that our annual Gutsy Walk raises to allow Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to support programs and research — including research that offers realistic hope for cures.
The Simcoe County Gutsy Walk will take place at St. Vincent Park on June 2 with registration starting at 11 a.m. Anyone can create a team of family, friends, or colleagues, or walk individually. Sign up here.
Gutsy Walk, a family-friendly event, is the largest fundraiser for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, aimed at raising more than $3 million this year, while having raised $52 million since starting in 1996. Registered participants typically walk five kilometres, but any distance or activity done on the day qualifies.
In all, 12,000 people are expected to be diagnosed this year, driven by rising numbers among children, particularly those up to the age of six. Canada has among the highest rates of pediatric Crohn’s and colitis in the world. Crohn’s and colitis cause the body to attack itself, inflaming the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and disrupting the body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrition and eliminate waste in a healthy manner. They are lifelong diseases, often called invisible, as many people living with them look ‘normal’ while facing excruciating pain, exhaustion, and other conditions.
“Crohn’s and colitis are lonely diseases, with stigma and isolation added onto the physical symptoms, which are painful and disruptive to daily life. Gutsy Walk is a time to celebrate our resilience as we come together to find a cure and improve the lives of those with Crohn’s and colitis,” says Lee Martin. “This is also the 50th anniversary of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, so we’re celebrating the remarkable impact and progress we’ve achieved.”
Get the latest Gutsy Walk information on Instagram and Facebook — @gutsywalk and @getgutyscanada — as well as gutsywalk.ca. Sign up here for email updates. For information on Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, visit crohnsandcolitis.ca. Locally follow @getgutsynorthernontario on Facebook and Instagram.
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