IBTA Walk Around the World

Matheson may be a small northern Ontario town but it is connected to hundreds of other cities that united in October of 2007 to help battle brain tumours. During Brain Tumour Awareness Month in Canada and International Brain Tumour Awareness Week around the world, thousands of people participated in walks to raise awareness and funds for brain tumour research.

One such event took place in Matheson and contributed to a worldwide distance total as part of a "Walk Around the World" initiative. Laura Michaud, a teacher at Joseph H. Kennedy Public School in Matheson organized a group of 174 staff and students – including some from Kindergarten – who joined the walk on October 25th and covered 801 kilometres. In addition to raising funds and donating them to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, the total kilometers walked contributed to the World Walk project. Many brain tumour organizations in the International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA) helped to organize walks over the globe. The overall goal was to cover a total of at least 40,000 kilometres (the circumference of the earth at the equator) in one week.

The total distance covered by Laura and her students was added to the distance covered by the 3,500 participants in Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s 2007 Spring Sprint. In addition to being the most successful fundraising campaign in Spring Sprint history (raising an unprecedented $1.1 million), over 13,500 kilometres were walked to celebrate life and pay tribute to the courage of Canadians affected by a brain tumour.

The next Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours will be held between January 1 and November 1, 2009. People are encouraged to undertake sponsored or unsponsored walks to raise awareness about brain tumours and to donate the mileage covered to the World Walk. The target for 2009 is to circle the earth three times at the equator for a grand total of 120,000 kms.

The 3rd International Brain Tumour Awareness Week will be held between Sunday, November 1 to Saturday, November 1, 2009. People are encouraged to organize an activity that will contribute to increased awareness about brain tumours. It could be a walk, a picnic, an information display, or even a statement to local media which draws attention to the particular challenges of a brain tumour and the need for increased research efforts.

If you are interested in organizing an event and becoming involved in the 2009 Walk Around the World, please contact Eileen Quigg, Community Events Officer, at 1-800-265-5106, ext. 224 or by e-mail at equigg@braintumour.ca.