Joining this charity walk is a Gutsy move

A Sunday morning walk through Sunset Point Park is part of a local and nationwide initiative to shine a light on auto-immune diseases. 

Dubbed the Gutsy Walk, the annual event aims to raise funds and awareness for Crohn's and Colitis Canada and the research ongoing to help find a cure for these life-altering diseases. 

One of the Collingwood walk organizers, Kim Harbourne, said the public event helps show support for those who suffer from the auto-immune diseases, which target the bowels. 

According to Crohn's and Colitis Canada, one in 140 Canadians lives with inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's and ulcerative colitis cause inflammation of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt the body's ability to digest food, absorb nutrition, and eliminate waste in a healthy manner. Currently, these are life-long diseases that can come with acute flare-ups and periods of remission. 

Because the cause of these diseases is mostly unknown, there is not yet a cure. Nationwide the 2021 Gutsy Walk event raised more than $2.3 million, which was invested into research projects aiming to find a cure for inflammatory bowel disease.

The Collingwood Gutsy Walk takes place June 5 at Sunset Point starting at 10 a.m. You can donate to the local event or sign up to participate on the national Gutsy Walk website here.