Toronto Run & Hike for Huntington Disease: Community Coming Together

The Toronto Run & Hike for Huntington Disease is historically, the most highly attended fundraising hosted by a Huntington Society Chapter, attracting not only family and friends of those affected by HD but connected individuals from the medical community, research community and beyond. This event is a time for the larger community to come together and connect over their shared goal and passion of helping to create a world without Huntington disease.

Though the Toronto Run & Hike for HD is jam packed with fun, it distinguishes itself from many fun-runs by providing chip timing for their running participants. Serious runners have even come from beyond Ontario, and even Canada to the run to time themselves and help with the cause. Still, most participants are families coming together for a fun run and to raise money for Huntington disease research and services provided by HSC. Familiar faces from the medical and research community in Toronto have included Dr. Mark Guttman, a Toronto Neurologist and Clare Gibbons of the Genetics Program at North York General Hospital. CEO of the Huntington Society of Canada, Bev Heim-Myers is also usually in attendance to welcome participants and cheer them on.

Check out pictures of the 2015 Toronto Run  at Wilket Creek Park here to see the community of those who are passionate about ending Huntington disease! 

Sprint Into Summer: Small Town, Big Heart

Sprint Into Summer in Pierson, Manitoba took place on June 6^th, 2015. It was beautiful weather and they had a great crowd with energy that couldn’t be beat. Registration came first, and then the kick-off with a couple of speakers, including Bert Blackbird who made a surprise appearance, and the K-6 Choir who sang a few numbers. Sprint Into Summer is a family event with walking and running options for all ages and abilities. A few participants are suffering from HD and participate in their wheelchairs, as well as young children who participate in strollers. There was also a barbeque dinner, prizes, and a band to play at the dance that took place after the walk.

It was truly a day for family and friends to gather and raise money and awareness for HD, with around 180 people from this small town coming out to the event. Organizers, Terri Alphonso and Cindy Horrigan shared that an overwhelming amount of people in Pierson have a connection to the challenges of Huntington disease, “With so many being affected, or being close to a family that is affected, it’s easy to feel like there is nothing you can do to help. This event gives the community an opportunity to make a difference”.  Everyone seemed to get involved with volunteering for the event! Whether it was individuals bringing a salad, the grocery store donating food, or the fire department barbequing the food, the whole town rallied together around the cause.

The event has evolved over the last three years. Last year, the organizers took advantage of both floors of their venue but found they lost some energy from the guests, “Everyone being all together this year made a huge difference in the vibe of the evening. Everyone had fun”. Their advice is to understand that you can’t please everyone- all you can do is put on a fun event and raise money for the cause.

Although Pierson and the surrounding community is going through a challenging time with the downturn in the oil industry and recent flooding, the generous participants helped raise $12,000 and climbing. Organizers again, attribute this to the strong connection the community holds with HD. This small, community-oriented place is responsible for another successful event- making a difference in the lives of people with HD. 

To see photos from the event, click here.

Longest Standing Run for HD in Canada: Vernon Run

The Annual Run to Finish HD takes place in Vernon, British Columbia and is run by the Okanagan Chapter. This event was the first run planned in Canada to fundraise for the Huntington Society and 2015 was be the eighth year of the event! The Vernon Run has been a strong and well-supported event in the region since the very first year, and thanks to some core family and friends, they are proud to say their fundraising event is fun and successful!

Posters and brochures are distributed around the community, and with the use of press releases and Facebook community and event pages, the organizers successfully get the word out about their event, resulting in attendance of over 100 people most years. They have also developed a relationship with the Vernon Morning Star, a local newspaper that has supported the event as a sponsor in the past and encourages their staff to participate.

Changes in the running route have shifted and adapted to the needs of participants, and the event has become a time to socialize with community members, eat together, play together, and exchange information with their supportive Social Worker. What hasn’t changed is the feeling of community, the generosity of participants and their families, and the organizers and volunteers who feel a sense of ownership when it comes to the event and their respective duties.

With the experience of the last eight years, the organizers do everything on their check lists and witness the community come together to raise money for a great cause, easily managing any hiccups that might happen along the way! The hard work is rewarded by seeing that beyond the run and raising money, the contribution they make is for those affected by HD.

“It’s wonderful to see how much fun people have and to provide an opportunity for the HD community to share their stories. The event is an chance for family and friends to gather around those with HD.”
–Laurie Williams, Okanagan Chapter Member

Thank you to everyone involved in planning and executing the Annual Run to Finish HD in Vernon, BC!