Around 70 people walked in the Great Strides walk for cystic fibrosis on Sunday. After months of fundraising, the count for cash raised at press time came in at around $30,000.
The St. Paul group is headquartered out of the Edmonton chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, which covers the northern region and organized seven Great Strides walks.
The amount raised is “fabulous,” said Edmonton chapter manager Emily Westwood. “A big thank you to St. Paul and community for their support for this,” said Westwood. “It’s a devastating diagnosis for parents when they hear about their kids.”
Team Dragonfly led by Tom Matthews made it into the top teams in Canada for funds raised. The 45-member Team Dragonfly raised the majority of the money locally, but Great Strides received help from a smaller second team of locals, Tamara’s Dream Team.
Matthews credited “getting out there and making an effort to talk to people in town and the surrounding area” for the team’s fundraising success. Local and area businesses from Bonnyville and Mallaig made donations through the team, which fundraised with three barbecues, an art auction and individual donations. The team received support from 320 sponsors.
Although the event did not match up to last year’s attendance, the money raised came in just under the $36,000 raised in 2010.
“It went really well. We’re impressed with the turnout,” said organizer Chantal Michaud. “The weather co-operated with us. Last year we had snow,” added husband and organizer Jamie Michaud.
