WINNIPEG -- A Winnipeg youth Anishinaabe choir is set to sing the national anthem at a Canada-wide fundraising event this month.

Pam Gordon, co-chair of the Winnipeg Brain Tumour Walk, said she got the idea to bring in the Strong Warrior Girls Anishinaabe Singers after seeing them perform on TV the national anthem in Ojibwe at a Winnipeg Jets game in January.

She added since this year is a virtual walk, it will feature the anthem being sung in different languages across various provinces.

“We were wanting the event to have live entertainment this year,” Pam said.

“We were wanting the event to include people of all ages and make them feel more involved in the activity.”

Pam said showcasing different cultures and background helps to make the event more inclusive.

THE FIRST OF ITS KIND

Though this year is the 15th annual Brain Tumour Walk, it will be the first of its kind in many ways.

Normally the event takes place on different days in various parts of the country, but this year it’s a virtual walk, which means all Canadians will participate in the event on the same day.

Pam said instead of gathering at Assiniboine Park, the event’s usual Winnipeg location, people will be able to log in, watch the opening ceremonies, listen to the CEO of the Brain Tumour Foundation give a speech, and then watch a tribute to those who’ve passed away. The virtual event will also feature clips and videos of people participating in the walk.

Pam said this is a good thing as those who wouldn’t have been able to attend the walk in-person can still participate.

“The people that aren’t able to go to the event this year physically because they are having treatments or they’re sicker, they’re able to watch it all online this year,” she said.

WHY IT MATTERS

The money raised for the Brain Tumour Walk goes to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.

Pam’s husband, Michael Gordon, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2011. He then had Gamma Knife surgery and has been stable ever since, though, he said, he lives with deficits and chronic pain.

“But I’m still here, so I’m a survivor,” he said.

Michael said the Brain Tumour Foundation offers people a lot of help through resources like support groups.

“When I was first diagnosed, we hadn’t heard anything about this. Once we did, the support group was like a light went off. All of a sudden, I could talk to people who knew what I was going through,” he said, adding that he now co-facilitates a support group.

The 15th annual Brain Tumour Walk takes place on June 27.

- With files from CTV’s Jamie Dowsett.