Organizers of the local Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History are hoping that it will not only be a successful fundraiser, but also a reunion as it returns to an in-person event for the first time since 2019. 

“It was pretty good news on our part, the Kinsmen and Kinettes always support this great fundraiser, and we got the OK this year from our people in charge for the South Saskatchewan Chapter, so we got a phone call to say that we could go ahead and do the walk with the families, and some of the families already have said they’re excited that we can get together again,” said Ben Laviolette, a member of the Swift Current Kinsmen Club and chairperson for the event. “It’s like a big reunion as far as all the members that have family members with CF, so it was great news for us.” 

The walk is hosted by the Swift Current Kinsmen and Kinettes and the money raised will support Cystic Fibrosis Canada to help further research into the genetic condition and find new breakthroughs in treatment. Recently, Health Canada approved the drug Trikafta, which many doctors are calling a “life-changing” treatment for CF since it addresses the underlying causes of the disease instead of just managing symptoms. Trikafta is approved for CF patients aged six years and older and is available in Saskatchewan through the province’s Exception Drug Status program. 

“Trikafta is not a cheap drug, but it has a really good response to helping people with Cystic Fibrosis, so it’s going to extend their lifetime for most people,” Laviolette added. “It’s not a real cure, but it’s going to make their life easier.” 

The Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History has been held in Swift Current for over 30 years and the last in-person walk in 2019 brought in $10,275 with 53 people taking part. 

“Most of the families around the area phone their friends and relatives and they are quite supportive of the walk,” Laviolette said. “In the last couple of years, unfortunately due to COVID, we had to rely on a virtual walk and those families made a lot of effort to make sure everybody registered online, which people can still do if they wish... In the past, we had as many as 150 people show up, so we’re hoping that the fact we’re back on with the walk that we’ll have a good turnout.” 

The walk takes place rain or shine on Sunday, May 29, and will start at Riverside Park at 9:00am with registration beginning at 8:00am, and registration is also open online. After the walk, there will be prizes and a free barbecue lunch for the participants.