The first Achalasia Walk to Raise Awareness took place on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Fishtrap Creek Park in Abbotsford.
All funds from the event were donated to Global Genes, an organization which funds research and promotes awareness for all rare diseases.
The Abbotsford walk was organized by Jenine Wright, 26, who has had achalasia for almost 10 years.
Achalasia is a rare esophageal disorder that affects eating and everyday life. Approximately one in 100,000 people have the disease.
Wright recently discovered an achalasia support group on Facebook, and this inspired her to organize the awareness walk, the first of its kind in Canada.
"September is Achalasia awareness month and I thought about how much it would mean to me and the achalasia community if we saw people coming together to show support and help find a cure for achalasia," she said.
Donations may be made online at globalgenes.org.
For more information about achalasia, visit medicinenet.com/achalasia/article.htm.