A longstanding tradition in Sudbury was renewed Sunday when dozens of area residents turned up at Bell Park to join a live version of the annual Gutsy Walk, a fundraising event in support of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.
Nikki Sage, a community outreach coordinator with Crohn’s and Colitis in Sudbury, said she was more than pleased with the turnout on a sunny Sunday afternoon. She said the walk has long been a popular event in Sudbury, but the annual gathering was put off for the past two years because of COVID-19. She said the walkers seemed just as happy as the organizers to be able to have a live outdoor event.
A guest of honour at the event was City of Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian who addressed the crowd as the walkers were warming up and preparing for the five kilometre trek.
Bigger said he was glad to see Sudbury taking part in a national event, as Gutsy Walks were happening in cities and towns across Canada on Sunday.
"Statistics reveal that one in every 140 Canadians struggles with Crohn's or Colitis and continues to have a growing impact on children. And there's an urgency to continue raising awareness so that we can do our part in helping a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or peer living with Crohn's or Colitis disease," said the Mayor. Bigger was joined on the walk by his chief of staff Hugh Kruzel.
In the past 25 years, communities across Canada have rallied together to raise more than $48 million for research. The funds are used for research into possible cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, said the group’s national webpage.
