Guelph will join 34 communities across the nation to participate in the Ovarian Cancer of Canada’s Walk of Hope.
The walk is dedicated to overcoming the deadly disease and will take place on Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. at The Arboretum.
Ovarian cancer is said to be the most fatal women’s cancer in Canada with no reliable screening test available for the disease. A staggering number of 2,800 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, with five women in Canada lost to the disease daily.
“It’s devastating,” says director of communications Abigail Brown at Ovarian Cancer Canada.
“Our team - we connect with women every day who have been diagnosed and it's really hard for them to hear that people die from this disease and certainly that's why we're here. We're here to change that.”
Since its launch in 2002, the Walk of Hope has raised over $27 million.
“The walk brings people together. Its a place for the community but its also something that helps to raise money for vital support programs for women affected and also to fund research,” says Brown.
Women and families affected by the disease, advocates, sponsors and community members are also invited to join the walk to draw attention to the important health issue.
Brown says the event also provides a comforting space for women who themselves have been diagnosed and to meet others who are fighting the disease.
“They find that really encouraging, so that's kind of how it brings people together,” says Brown.
The funds raised go to support research and specific programs, including the OVdialogue, an online community platform where people across the country can exchange information on experiences about the disease.
They are also used to facilitate webinars and community outreach events for women and families along with providing books and reference guides that women can use if they are seeking support.
Brown says the organization believes that research is the only way to change the course of the disease along with its impact on the community.
“Research has been telling us more and more of how to treat it. We just need to keep going. We need to keep doing that to save more lives,” says Brown.
“The statistics and the numbers are hard to hear and they are real numbers but at the same time those numbers are what drive our mission and those are the numbers that we want to change.”
