A little rain didn’t stop students, family, friends and supporters from participating in the 11th annual Kendra’s Walk Friday.
Hundreds gathered at St. John’s-Ravenscourt School to walk, keeping Kendra McBain’s wish alive of helping teenagers with cancer.
At the age of 15, Kendra was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. She died in 2009, just months after the first walk.
Organizers say this year about 800 people walked to raise funds for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.
“Amazing to see year in, year out the way that these girls and guys get everyone excited about the walk. A lot of these people haven’t even met Kendra but they still have that tradition going on, everyone’s just so excited, you got the sea of purple looks fantastic, it warms our heart every year to see the kids,” said Kendra's brother Graham McBain.
Funds from Kendra’s Walk have gone to the creation of a cozy room designed specifically for teens with cancer, as well as towards CancerCare Manitoba’s Teens Living with Cancer support program, and further research into rhabdomyosarcoma.
This year, funds raised are being directed towards PROFYLE (Terry Fox PRecision Oncology For Young PeopLE), a new project for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, which aims at giving children, adolescents and young adults who are out of conventional treatment options another chance to beat their cancer.
To date, Kendra’s walk has raised $850,000.
“It’s nice to see what we’re deciding to do with the money, where the proceeds are going and how we can help out with teens living with cancer, with CancerCare Manitoba. The funds have definitely gotten quite significant,” said Graham.
