The Walk 2018

I participated in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA) Take Steps walk in Philadelphia for the 12th year. I do every year, and I look forward to doing it every year. Why do I do it you ask?

1. I raise money for a great cause

 
I remember when I was a teacher at a local Quaker school. When I had to take a medical leave, all of the teachers and staff donated 1,000 to the CCFA. I was really moved by this. Here I am, twenty-one years old, working at the school for less than a year. They embraced me like a family member and donated to a cause that ultimately one day I was able to get under control. I love campaigning for the CCFA. Whether it be postal mail correspondence, e-mail, or Facebook invites, I use any way possible to get my message across that we need more money for IBD research. There might not be a cure yet, but there are definite advances since I was first diagnosed. The more money for research, the more options patients will have to reach their goal of remission.

2. Family connections

This is a great time to bring all my family and friends together. We do not walk the walk route alone. We travel as a team. That serves as a deeper meaning. It takes a team to beat this disease. You need people to be your advocates. The people who walk with me have been my advocates since the say I was diagnosed. They do not allow me to battle this alone. All of my family and friends have been impacted in one way or another by my condition.

It is also an excuse to bring the family together. We live in different parts of the east coast, and this gives them a reason to come visit. We don’t just walk, but we have a big get together that weekend. Usually my family comes in on Friday night, and we have a BBQ.  The big party is the next day. We have huge hoagie trays and non-alcoholic drinks delivered to the house. To top that off, we have some tasty baked goods, and you got yourself a party. We have over one hundred people at my parent’s house. We are celebrating my progress with Crohn's, and advocating for the millions and millions of others that suffer from the disease. We make fun tee shirts that identify us as a team.

3. Exercise

The 5K walk, of course, is great exercise. I am so busy mingling with my friends and family that I don’t even remember that I am keeping track of my steps. It's usually a good boost to get my rear end into shape for the upcoming summer.

I encourage any person with Crohn’s, Colitis, or any other form of IBD participate in a Take Steps walk. They have them all over the country. It is a fun-filled day of walking, eating, and celebrating. You don’t have to donate, just come out and walk.

Walk for us, walk for them, walk for… you.