Kirstin Whitford, wife of the late Joey Whitford, is inviting the community to come out and help the fight against cystic fibrosis by participating in the Great Strides Walk on Sunday, May 29.
The walk is a campaign of Cystic Fibrosis Canada to help raise money for research into the genetic disease and to provide funding for cystic fibrosis clinics.
Kirstin wanted to attend last year’s walk but couldn’t because of Joey’s condition. Joey received a double lung transplant in 2007 as part of his lifelong struggle with cystic fibrosis. As of 2009, Joey had been on the waiting list for a liver transplant which he received on February 12, 2011. By that time, due to his weakened condition, Joey was unable to fight off an infection after the surgery and died on February 21.
The walk begins at 10 am at Willingdon Beach. Walkers and runners will head down Willingdon Avenue to the BC Ferries terminal and then back along Marine Avenue. At that point participants will have the option to either leave it at that 3.5-kilometre distance or walk the Willingdon Beach Trail for an extra two kilometres. Everyone will meet back at the beach afterward for refreshments and some door prizes.
Participants can register online for the walk and choose “virtual location” for their location. Pledge forms are available online and donations will be accepted on location. Kirstin’s team, Joey’s Angels, is an open team that participants can join.
Kirstin also wishes to remind people to go to www.transplant.bc.ca to register as an organ donor.
