​Huron-Bruce Kidney Walk set for Sept. 7 at Station Beach, Kincardine

The annual Huron-Bruce Kidney Walk is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 7, beginning with registration at 9 a.m., at Station Beach, Kincardine.

Participants join many communities across Ontario for this event to support friends and family who live with kidney disease, celebrate a transplant, honour the memory of a loved one, or connect with others going through a similar journey, and raise funds for the Kidney Foundation.

Cathy Pennington of Kincardine has spearheaded the local walk for years, with her son, Christopher.

“In 2015, after months of worry and unanswered questions, Christopher was diagnosed with kidney disease,” she said. “He was just a child, and yet he faced that diagnosis with a quiet strength that took my breath away. Since then, I’ve walked every year — not just for him, but with him in my heart every step of the way. I walk because he never gave up, even when things were hard. I walk because I’ve seen what this disease can take — and what love, support, and hope can give back.”

Pennington is part of the Huron-Bruce Kidney Walk Crew (formerly Christopher’s Crew), and she hosts an on-line fund-raising auction each year in support of the walk. This year’s auction runs Aug. 25-28 at www.facebook.com/events/744958317960688/744958327960687/.

“The Kidney Walks really are the highlight of the year,” said Mary-Pat Shaw, president of the Kidney Foundation’s Ontario Branch. “They are a place where people living with kidney disease feel loved and supported by their family and friends - they also see the strength of our community and learn that they aren’t alone in their experience.”

Over the past two years, the Kidney Walk has raised over $1-million each year. “Every dollar raised fuels programs and services for those affected by kidney disease,” said Shaw.

More than four-million Canadians are affected by kidney disease. Several factors can affect a person’s risk for kidney disease, from genetics to diabetes, high blood pressure, ethnic background, and more.

There is no cure for kidney failure. When kidneys fail, people need dialysis several times per week, or a kidney transplant, to survive. Not everyone is eligible for a transplant, and the wait-list in Ontario for a donor kidney continues to be four years, on average.

As a result, people living with kidney disease often face emotional, financial, and physical challenges. Funds raised from the Kidney Walks enables the foundation to fund world-class research and deliver support programs.

“The Kidney Foundation supports Canadians at every step of their kidney disease journey,” said Shaw.  “Whether it is providing emotional support through our peer support program, emergency financial assistance or information to help navigate kidney disease, we want Canadians to know that we are here to help.”

For more information, to register, or to donate, visit www.kidneywalk.ca.