Edmonton charity walk raises $90K for muscular dystrophy - Action News
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Edmonton charity walk raises $90K for muscular dystrophy

Edmontonians raised $90,000 this weekend to help find a cure for muscular dystrophy.

Weekend walk just 1 of several organized around Canada for September

Edmontonians raised $90,000 this weekend to help find a cure for muscular dystrophy.

Organizer Rachel Chan with Muscular Dystrophy Canada said Saturday's event helps people learn about the day to day experience of people with the disorder. (CBC)

Hundreds of people participated in a charity walk Saturdayto raise money and awareness about the disorder, which affects the neuromuscular system and causes muscle wasting and weakness. There's no cure, but participants say they hope to change that.

"The biggest thing we hope the money goes towards is research and the more money we can put towards research, the better chance of finding a cure or a treatment," said Merv Wirth, whose five-year-old daughter suffers from muscular dystrophy and raised $11,000 during the walk.

"The more people we can get understanding what muscular dystrophy is and how it affects people, the easier it's going to be on the younger people coming up in the next generation who may be afflicted by the disease."

There are more than 150 different types of neuromuscular disorders and Muscular Dystrophy Canada says researchers still have a huge task ahead of them.

However, Edmonton's walk was just one of several organized across the country this month and organizers are hoping they will continue to be just as successful.