'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
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.