Local participants raise $18,000 in 2024 Gutsy Walk
June 10, 2024, 9:43 am
Joey Light
On Sunday, June 2, more than 4,000 Canadians participated at 50 locations across Canada as part of Gutsy Walk for Crohn's and Colitis.
Two Moosomin women, 17-year-old Charlie Leslie and longtime Gutsy Walk fundraiser Nancy Apshrum, raised a total of $18,000 between them.
This year's fundraiser across the country raised $2.2 million to date for Crohn's and Colitis Canada to invest in finding cures and improving the lives of those affected by Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Since 1996, Gutsy Walks have raised close to $55 million.
Charlie Leslie says this year's fundraiser was a success.
"This year was my fourth year going to the Gutsy walk and it had a great turnout this year, I'd say double the amount of people than last year went, and I raised $4,600 this year which is more than last year," she says. "This year they had a dunk tank and two doctors from Regina came and we could pay $5 to try and dunk them in the tank. They had food and drinks you can buy and all the money made at the walk goes to Crohn's and Colitis. The Gutsy Walk is to raise money so we can get more advancements in the medicine. Only two years ago we were driving to Saskatoon to the doctors and switching my medication a lot to find one that works for me.
"Now there is only one gastroenterologist in Saskatchewan which is my doctor in Regina, who only treats adults. But since mine is so extensive he took me on. I have to go for scopes in Regina and can now do my blood work in Moosomin, we just don’t have the equipment and doctors in town to do it here yet."
Leslie says it's a challenge living with Colitis.
"They usually don’t find any signs of Crohn's or Colitis when you are a child but they found mine very early. I was 11 years old when I was first diagnosed with Colitis and this year I was diagnosed with Extensive Ulcerative Colitis which looks like Crohn's and Colitis together which is why they originally thought I had both. Being in high school while having a disease like this is very hard, I always felt very self conscious and did not want to talk about it. I find now I am more open about it and want to share my story so that we can raise awareness and help get donations to keep advancing the research for Crohn's and Colitis to help myself and anyone else going through the same thing."
Nancy Apshkrum has been raising money at the Gutsy Walk every year for many years, and says she appreciates the community support.
"I want to say thank you to the Spectator as well as to the community of Moosomin in general, for their unwavering support year after year after year. For me it's 25 years this year, and the community has always been very supportive, as has the Spectator. I raised $13,370 all thanks to the support of everyone and we are very thankful to the community and The World-Spectator."
Celebrating 50 years this year, Crohn's and Colitis Canada is on a relentless journey to transform the lives of people affected by Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis by finding the cures for these lifelong diseases and improving the quality of life of everyone affected.
For information on Crohn's and Colitis Canada, visit crohnsandcolitis.ca
