CALLING LAKE — Calling advocates and athletes of all abilities — this June, Bigstone Health Commission and the M.D of Opportunity are hosting a 117-km relay race from Calling Lake to Wabasca to raise funds for kidney care, and teams of up to twelve can register now to take part.
June 7 will mark the first Dash for Dialysis, an event organizers hope to turn into an annual fundraiser to improve access to healthcare in the community.
“We’re trying to raise awareness, provide education, provide early kidney screening, and ultimately our goals is to raise enough funds to have an in-community dialysis program in Wabasca,” said Taylor Courtorielle, LPN with Bigstone Health Commission.
The 12-part relay race will begin at the Jeremy Nipshank Park in Calling Lake, and participants can walk, jog, or sprint their section of Highway 813. The 117-km race will finish at the George D Auger Hall in Wabasca, and while the journey may seem a long one, the distance is emblematic of Indigenous access to healthcare such as dialysis, especially in Northern Alberta.
Statistics on the Dash for Dialysis website note Indigenous individuals are at a greater risk of end-stage kidney disease, with early onset and progression rates between two and three times higher than other Albertans.
One in five, or twenty per cent of Indigenous Canadians with kidney disease travel more than 250 kilometres to receive treatment, compared to five percent of non-Indigenous Canadians.
“We have a lot of community members that are on dialysis, and they have to travel to Slave Lake to receive dialysis treatment, or even sometimes to Edmonton,” said Courtorielle. “Then they’re on dialysis for about six to eight hours that day, and they’re going Monday, Wednesday, Friday.”
“We’re noticing a decrease in quality of life, people are having to move away if they don’t want to (travel) just to make it easier on themselves. Sometimes it can be a financial burden as well for some families, so they are facing a lot of challenges.”
Teams up to 12 members strong can head to dashfordialysis.ca to register teams now until May 31, at a cost of $1,659. Team members can pitch in to cover the costs, or teams can find company sponsors to cover their entry fee.
The route is divided into 12 sections ranging from three kilometres to over 14; teams can assign legs based on athletic ability to ensure participants of all ages and abilities can safety partake.
Each team is encouraged to gather as many donations as possible, and the team that raises the most money for the cause will take home a big-ticket prize. The M.D of Opportunity sponsored nine-hole golf passes for all runners, and participants can also win door prizes and purchase additional merchandise like t-shirts and sweaters.
The goal for the first Dash for Dialysis is to raise $50,000 in the first year, funds that would go towards bringing early kidney screening and home treatment options for patients in Wabasca.
To reach the goal, Courtorielle said the commission is actively seeking sponsorship packages and donations from local companies and organizations, and noted if the event is successful in the first and subsequent years, the organizers hope to establish dialysis treatment for patients right in the community.
A barbecue will be waiting for teams at the end point in Wabasca, and kidney screening will be available on the day and in the week leading up to the event. Participants and locals can also nominate community champions who have been affected by kidney disease to be honoured during a small presentation.
“It’s been a really positive thing for the community, a lot of people are excited about it. The community of Wabasca is so awesome, even Calling Lake. Whenever there’s anything personal going on with anyone in the community they all rally together and try to get things done and help out as much as they can, and this is no different.”
The sentiment of community coming together for a cause is represented in the logo for the event, designed by Indigenous artist and Calling Lake local Lance Cardinal. The image depicts people of different races and cultures joining together on the road over Rock Island hill to signify the mission of the event: healthy, strong, and connected communities.
