Fort Smith raised more funds through this year’s Trek for Tourette five-kilometre walk than any other community in Canada, organizers say.
Participants from Fort Smith took the country’s top spots for individual and team fundraising related to community walks, national charity Tourette Canada confirmed.
In all, after a month organizing the event and through the proceeds of a raffle held at Sunday’s walk, the Fort Smith team collected just over $6,600.
Co-organizer Treyton Bird raised more than $1,700, making him the top individual contributor, according to Tourette Canada. His family, taking part as Team Bird, were also among top fundraisers. Another Fort Smith group, Team Allie, raised the second-highest team amount in Canada with nearly $2,000.
More than 30 people participated, ranging from four-year-old children to residents in their 80s.
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Bird and co-organizer Kim Bennett each have Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder primarily characterized by tics.
Bennett had planned to bring back Fort Smith’s Tourette walk after about a decade without one, but wasn’t sure she would be able to pull it off alone. That’s when Bird jumped in to help.
At the end of this year’s walk, a resident was so inspired by the event and its participants that they returned with ice cream for everyone to enjoy, Bennett said.
Having the opportunity to meet others who share a diagnosis was a highlight of the event for Bird. He said the sense of community, especially for the kids with this diagnosis, showed them differences can be celebrated and not mocked.
“It’s frustrating to see how it’s misunderstood,” said Bird, emphasizing Tourette syndrome is about more than the stereotype of people swearing. He hopes events like this will help educate people and erase the stigma.
Tourette Canada says money raised from Trek for Tourette fundraisers will go toward programming and facilitated online support groups.
