The Grande Prairie Kidney Walk went off without a hitch over the weekend, and Kidney Foundation officials are suggesting the well-attended event surpassed even their highest expectations.
Executive Director for Northern Alberta and the Territories Branch of the Kidney Foundation, Flavia de la Fuente says she is “thrilled” that Grande Prairie showed so much support during the walk.
“We were thrilled at our second annual in-person Kidney Walk in Grande Prairie to have the community come out and support us in that way, it was wonderful to hear Mayor Clayton say that was the biggest event outside that she’s attended this summer,” she says. “We are just so appreciative that the community came out to support the kidney and transplant patients that we serve.”
Ahead of the walk, the foundation reported they were around 80 per cent of the way to reaching their $25K funding goal. Since then, the Executive Director said she is “happy to report” that the foundation is now on track to surpass their goal.
“I am happy to report that we have reached our goal, and it looks like we’re going to surpass it,” she says. “The way the Grande Prairie community reached the goal, it looks like we’re going to surpass it, it is just thrilling.”
Fundraising efforts typically remain open for one month after the walk to allow any interested individuals to continue supporting the foundation ahead of the Christmas season.
“All of that [funding] makes the impact that it gets back to the patients we serve for all of the programs, the groceries, the medication, the equipment, it goes on and on, and that support generated allows us to continue to support the patients in those ways,” de la Fuente says.
Interested parties who could not make it to the walk can still donate to the Kidney Foundation on their website.
