The planning for the event all started when Alex registered for the second annual Regina Casino City Charity Championship, where participants are asked to raise money for charities of their choice. The goal was to raise as much money as you could prior to the race day to gain advantages by having seconds taken off your race time. The group came in 4th place at the challenge on August 19. We spoke with Shelby recently to get her thoughts on the championship, her connection with Huntington disease (HD) and the future of Regina events.
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| Shelby & Alex's group came in fourth place in the Challenge on August 19. Photo courtesy of Casino Regina. |
What is your connection with HD?
HD runs in my family coming from my mother's side, who is in the very late stages. Her brother (my uncle) has since passed from this disease and her sister (my aunt) chose to bravely take her own life while advocating for the dying with dignity cause. I have an older sister who has also unfortunately been diagnosed with It.
Why did you decide to organize this event for HSC?
The casino put on a charity championship and my boyfriend, Alex, and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to raise some money and gain some awareness!
What did you learn most through the process of organizing this event?
Through organizing this event I learned how little awareness surrounds HD. For something with no cure and that is this cruel and devastating to families we need to make sure people are educated and striving for a cure!
Can you tell us a little bit about the Casino’s challenge?
This was the second annual Regina Casino City Charity Championship! It is a 100 foot inflatable obstacle course relay style race. You put together a team of 4 people who individually run through the course and back to tag the next teammate! The goal was to raise as much money as you could prior to the race day to gain advantages by having seconds taken off your race time. It's an extremely fun event with a beer gardens and a BBQ for lots of different causes. It was so nice to see everyone out supporting charities that have impacted their lives.
Do you have any future events to plan in mind?
We are definitely planning on participating again next year!
How would you like to see the Regina community getting involved going forward?
I would really love to see any kind of awareness for HD in the city going forward as almost everyone I speak with has never heard of it before. I would also like to get the annual HD Walk to Cure back in the area. The walk stopped happening because of lack of participants, but hopefully with the awareness my family and Alex have created now, that will change!
If you're interested in creating your own event like Alex and Shelby, contact us at events@huntingtonsociety.ca to start your planning! Visit www.huntingtonsociety.ca/events for fundraising activities in your area.
