About 250 people walked to support Parkinson's disease research Saturday morning, smashing the previous record for funds raised.
Saturday's walk raised $50,002 through sponsorships of those walking, beating the previous record of $44,700.
This was the seventh time the walk has been held in Kelowna, and the 39th year walks have been held across Canada.
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease that generally affects people over the age of 60. There is no cure for it.
Bob Thompson, director of Parkinson Society of British Columbia, says as the baby boomer generation gets older and a larger percentage of the population fits into the affected age category, more people will be diagnosed with the disease.
“By the time we get to 2020 or 2030, that's a lot of people that we've got to deal with,” Thompson said. “If there's a message, its learning to learn about Parkinson's and to understand that it takes money to provide the research to find a cure.”
The Parkinson Society British Columbia estimates 13,300 people in B.C. are living with the disease today.
The Parkinson SuperWalk was held in 20 communities across B.C. on Saturday.
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/175595/A-record-breaking-walk
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