After a seven-year hiatus, the Huntington Society of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Chapter swung back into action Saturday (May 27) to host its annual Huntington Heroes Walk to help raise funds and awareness for the rare neurological disease.

On a sunny, almost summer morning, more than two dozen people gathered in EsquimaltB次元官网网址檚 Captain Jacobson Park for snacks, speeches, and a silent auction before setting out on a five-kilometre walk through the community. For chapter president Hedley Cullen, who was diagnosed with the disease a decade ago, it was an emotional moment.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e got the butterflies thatB次元官网网址檚 for sure, even though I myself am not going to walk because I would be too slow,B次元官网网址� said Cullen. B次元官网网址淭he chapter sort of drifted along because of COVID, and the last official walk we had was in 2016.B次元官网网址�

But after Cullen and event coordinator Susan Nickerson discovered they were distant relatives through an online ancestry group, the chapter began to reform itself and resume regular activities.

Cullen said this yearB次元官网网址檚 event was somewhat hastily organized compared to previous editions, with him and his team putting it together in around a month.

Despite that, and the gap between walks, he said the chapter has already blown past its fundraising goal of $2,500. As of Saturday morning, $3,813 had been raised by the chapter, and with an anonymous philanthropist based in Ontario pledging to match all donations to the society across Canada during Huntington Awareness Month in May and until June 30, that number will only grow.

Despite being a rare disease, with one in every 5,500 people being at risk for developing it, raising awareness and funds is important to the society as there is no known cure, but researchers are working feverishly around the world to try and change that.

B次元官网网址淗untingtonB次元官网网址檚 disease is like a combination of ParkinsonB次元官网网址檚, AlzheimerB次元官网网址檚, schizophrenia, and ALS all in one B次元官网网址榝unB次元官网网址� package,B次元官网网址� said Cullen.

Donations can be made online at .

READ MORE: Greater Victoria firefighters filling their boots for MD

justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com
Like us on and follow us on .