A pair of local organizers have been lauded for their work to help battle ALS.
Nancy Arbuckle and Louise Gauthier, coordinators of the Kelowna Walk to End ALS, received the ALS Society of B.C.’s ‘Walk of the Year’ award earlier this week.
The award is handed out to celebrate those who build local community and awareness, as well as achieve extraordinary success in yearly fundraising results.
And produce they did: despite the walk being held virtually for the second year in a row due to the pandemic, the Kelowna Walk raised $107,225, the most in B.C.
The top two fundraising teams in the province both represented the Kelowna walk: Team Quick Grow and Sarah’s Squad.
“It is an honour to accept this award on behalf of all the individuals and teams who walked and wheeled virtually in Kelowna and Area in 2021,” said Gauthier. “I love to watch our numbers grow each week and gently nudge competition between teams.”
Gauthier has been involved with the ALS program for the past four years.
Arbuckle added that she is “humbled” to take home the award, having given her services to the ALS cause five years ago after the diagnosis of both her aunt and cousin.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, popularly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects the person’s motor neurons that carry messages to the muscles resulting in weakness and wasting in arms, legs, mouth, throat and elsewhere.
Arbuckle and Gauthier received their awards at a special ceremony on April 5.
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