About 120 people came out to Mitford Park on Sunday, September 10th to walk for people suffering with Parkinson's Disease at the annual Step 'n Stride fundraiser.

Katie Von Hansen, the Fundraising and Events Manager for Parkinson Alberta says they were ecstatic with the turnout in Cochrane. "We were very pleased, thrilled in fact.  We had more participants than last year and raised more money for programs in Cochrane than last year."

In 2016, 107 people walked to raise nearly $20,000.  This year, Von Hansen says that total has grown by 20 percent with more funds to come.  "Currently we've raised $24,000 but those numbers will definitely climb as our donation site is open to October 3rd."

Von Hansen says the money raised will be used for programs locally, including support groups in Cochrane, one on one counselling and excercise programs.  The Cochrane walk included people from Airdrie where Parkinson Alberta also runs support groups.  

Von Hansen says approximately 63 people in Cochrane suffer from Parkinson Disease.  In Alberta the number is close to 10,000.  She says Parkinson's is not exclusively an older person's disease.

"The average age of diagnosis is about 60 but we have clients who are in their 30's.  The symptoms of Parkinson's are quite varied, no two people have the exact same experience with the disease.  The most common thing people notice is the tremor but there's slowness of movement, there's some cognitive issues that can arise, there's a stiffness, slowness of movement, there's more erratic movement called dyskinesia.  There's a whole variety of symptoms, so everybody kind of experiences the disease a bit differently."

Von Hansen goes on to explain, "Parkinson's is not a disease that you die from, that's kind of a misconception.  You don't die from having Parkinson's.  Once you're diagnosed you live with the challenges for the rest of your life."