'Everything has got to be talked about': Advocates march for awareness in 2023 Gutsy Walk in Regina
The 2023 'Gutsy Walk' took place across Canada as well as in Regina, and it was more than just a walk in the park.
The annual event started in 1996 as a way to raise funds and awareness for Crohn’s disease and Colitis.
“It’s one of those diseases that has got a stigma around it, people don’t really talk about it because people don’t want to talk about that kind of thing,” Trent Linford, who took part in the Sunday walk, told CTV News.
“I didn’t even start letting people know I had the disease until my 30’s as well.”
Crohn's and Colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases that cause swelling of the tissues in the digestive tract.
Common symptoms include abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.
Linford is one of many people who make the walk an annual tradition. He's been attending for 12 years, and manning the barbecue for six.
“I love it and I love that my whole family is here to support me,” he said.
“My sister came down from Saskatoon, my parents came from out of town and they come in every year and help out with the barbecue. So it’s really nice to know that I kind of have that support.”
Whether they’re combating the illness or supporting a loved one who does, those who showed up were all hopeful to help out the next generation.
“I think events like this are huge. You’ve got to talk about the mental health, everything has got to be talked about,” Nathan Smith, a team captain with Canada Life explained.
“You can’t hold stuff like that in so it’s good to have events where you can talk to other people about having the same thing.”
That sentiment, to help those in the next generation and hope for better treatments, was not lost on some of the children who took part in Sunday’s walk.
“I think it’s important to raise awareness because you don’t hear about Crohn’s and Colitis all the time. Me and [Addie] have had it for a couple years, so has my mom, she’s had it for 10 years,” Max Stenhouse told CTV News.
“It’s good to spread awareness and its also fun at the same time, so why not?” Addie, Max’s sister, added.
Anyone looking to make a donation can find information on the Gutsy Walk website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.