InspireHealth gears up for second annual Rain Walk

In just a few short weeks, Kelowna’s Rain Walk will return for its second year. The 5km walk or run coincides with the Victoria event and will take place on Sunday, March 4th, 2018. It welcomes people of all ages and abilities to participate, fundraise and show their support.

For its inaugural year, the fundraiser welcomed over 50 people and managed to raise $13,000 for Inspire Health, an organization that specializes in providing our community with supportive cancer care.

Though the cause is similar to that of other cancer walks and fundraisers, the Inspire Health Rain Walk tries to shift participants into a different way of thinking.

“We celebrate what it means to live with cancer, often times when a loved one, or ourselves are diagnosed, we think of all the worst-case scenarios, and what we do is we look at the all possibilities of living with a diagnoses.” says Rain Walk Coordinator and Inspire Health Clinical Counsellor, Ashley Phillips

“The event is really bright and cheerful, we celebrate what it means to be alive and to be as well as we can while we are living with a diagnosis,” added Phillips.

For the 2018 walk, Phillips has high hopes that it will double in participants, as it is slated to take place at a larger venue, the Parkinson Recreation Centre. The Inspire Health team has a fundraising goal of $20,000 to fund their various programs.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to fund programs and services at the Kelowna Centre. The organization focuses on looking at evidence-based lifestyle changes, such as exercise, sleep, and nutrition, that can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, improving the quality of life for people living with cancer, and counselling to support those affected and their families, all free of charge.

On site, each team or person has the opportunity to purchase one of the giant, colourful umbrellas so they can enjoy their time rain or shine. Participants can look forward to awesome swag bags, and a great silent auction in addition to brightening your day with a positive environment.

You can register on your own, join an existing team or create a team and get fundraising right away by visiting the Rain Walk’s website. Sign in starts at 9 a.m. with the walk kicking off at 10 a.m. on March 4.