Windsor-Essex virtual walk for Huntington Disease surpasses $10K fundraising goal

Walkers take part in the virtual walk for Huntington Disease in Windsor-Essex, Ont. on Sunday, Sept. 13 2020. (courtesy Bob Wickett, photo by Jennifer Colebourn)

Windsor, Ont. — Those taking part in the virtual walk for Huntington Disease in Windsor-Essex are hoping donations don’t slip without an official in-person event — and they look to be on the right track.

“It’s impressive, we really didn’t know what to expect,” said Paul Bateman, local Huntington Society chapter president. “A lot of this has come up in the last, probably month, we had to do the pivot as they say.”

Bateman says they’ve already surpassed their $10,000 goal for the fundraiser.

The 2020 virtual walk took the place of the usual go-kart race fundraiser which has run for the past 18 years, but was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The virtual walk is still hoping to help raise awareness of the genetic brain disorder.

Bateman says the funds raised go to education, support services, and all-important research.

“It’s a small group of a very rare disease,” said Bateman. “On the flipside, we have some phase 3 trials going on right now that are actually showing that they might be able to slow or regress a little bit of the regression.”

Groups of no more than 10 people were encouraged to head out on a walk Sunday in their neighbourhood or favourite park and share their participation with the hashtag #windsorwalk.

Donations to the Huntington Society virtual walks across the country are being matched by a national donor until Sept. 30.