Calgarians take a Gutsy Walk to raise funds and awareness for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

Calgarians walked to raise funds and awareness for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis Sunday at the Gutsy Walk in North Glenmore Park.

Calgarians put on their running shoes to participate in this year’s Gutsy Walk in North Glenmore Park.

The Gutsy Walk is the largest fundraising event for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

Every 48 minutes, someone in Canada is diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Canada has one of the highest rates of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the world, according to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

Organizers say these are lifelong diseases that are unpredictable and misunderstood.

“Both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are invisible diseases, so that means what’s going on in the inside you can’t necessarily see on the outside,” said Yas Habibyan, Calgary chapter president of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and the co-chair of the Gutsy Walk. “So it can make it a really alienating disease, some common symptoms can be weight loss, [and] urgency to use the bathroom.”

The Calgary walk raised $123,000 that will go toward research and patient support programs and advocacy.

For more information about Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, go here.

With files from CTV News’ Tyler Barrow