Many members of the community put on their walking shoes and met up at Hammond Community Centre last Saturday to go on a stroll for a good cause.
The annual Parkinson's SuperWalk event in Maple Ridge might have looked a bit different compared to previous years, but it had the same passion in its participants, according to long-time organizer Edith Elliott.
"This is our main fundraiser," said Elliott, who announced earlier this year that she would be stepping aside after more than 15 years of organizing these SuperWalk events.
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This year, the typical event was replaced with a mini-walk, but many people still showed up to help give back to what Elliott explained is such a vital program within the community.
"This will help professionals with Parkinson's research," said Elliott. "That money goes to a very good cause."
Fellow organizer Matthew White said that a lot of great work has already been done in Maple Ridge and the province as a whole thanks to the funds raised by past SuperWalk events.
"A good portion of the money goes to therapy and support groups for people with Parkinson's. We have a couple of highly-trained counsellors on our team and they do great work," said White. "We also recently lobbied to get Vyalev – a Parkinson's prescription medicine – covered by Pharmacare."
The total raised by this year's Parkinson's SuperWalk in Maple Ridge was more than $8,800, with Eliiott saying that she expects that number to climb even higher as donations continue to come in even days after the Sept. 7 event wrapped up.
