The Walk to End ALS is back! On Sunday, June 9, 2019, you can head out to the Island Stage in the Waterfront Park in downtown Kelowna to show your support for those battling ALS and to contribute to finding a cure.

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“We’ve changed the name for this year, it’s now the Walk to End ALS,” explained Nancy Arbuckle, the 2019 volunteer event coordinator. “We really want to see this become a disease that’s treatable, not terminal.”

Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the walk begins at 11:30 a.m. It will be a five km walk in total but everyone is free to walk as far as they like.

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During the day, the Zamboni Brothers will be performing live and a silent auction will be held that includes some amazing items such as two tickets anywhere WestJet flies, hotel stays, wine packages, golfing packages and more.

Nancy’s family has been affected by ALS. Her aunt passed away because of the disease back in 1998 and her cousin is currently fighting ALS, so she is passionate about supporting everyone who has been affected.

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She was in charge of the event last year and it was a major success, bringing over 200 people out to participate in the walk. In 2018, they surpassed their goal of fundraising $27,000 and this year they’re looking to do even better and reach $32,000.

60% of the proceeds stay within the province to improve patient care and to support caregivers, while the remaining 40% goes towards ALS research.

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“Last year was stressful, but exciting! To be there on the day was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be,” said Nancy. “I thought emotionally it might be a little bit tough to do it. But everything seemed to come together and it was so great to see people come out and it has become such a big success.”

Currently, the Walk to End ALS has reached 20% of their goal and you can help them reach it. Registration is free and you can either register online or head down at 10 a.m. on June 9, 2019 to do it in person. To support the cause, donations can be done in person on the day or click here to donate online.