The Bracebridge Falls were lit up red on Nov. 1 in honour of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) awareness. Robinson also organized a flag raising with the Town of Gravenhurst on Nov. 4 and a bonspiel at the Gravenhurst Curling Club on Nov. 9. It costs $60 to play in the bonspiel and includes three games, lunch and a chance to win prizes. The event will also feature a silent auction to raise money for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. The two conditions are the main forms of IBD, and 1 in 140 Canadians live with it, so Robinson is excited to bring more awareness to Muskoka with this year’s events.

“It’s a start, and I’m noticing more and more, I’ve met so many people with the disease,” she said. “Even that alone is great because people are starting to talk about it.”

Though IBD is an invisible disease, its impact on the people who have it is substantial from day to day. Along with extra bathroom visits, it can cause pain and cramping, weight loss, fatigue and a range of other symptoms. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has launched a Locked Out campaign to raise awareness about the importance of quick washroom access. 

The organization is also promoting the GoHere app, which makes it easier for users to locate nearby restrooms and manage their symptoms. Robinson said tools like the app are necessary, especially in places like Muskoka. She hopes it will gain traction and more people will understand how serious the disease can be. 

She’s the chair of the Gutsy Walk, an annual fundraiser in June, and two years ago they had an honourary chair for the event named Lindsay Hurren. Hurren died in 2018 after facing cancer, Crohn’s and other autoimmune diseases.

“Because of the complications and the side effects and all the things that went with it, she passed at 26,” Robinson said. “People don’t realize, these diseases, how much impact they have in your everyday life.”

Robinson has set out to change that, at least in Muskoka. Lighting up landmarks like the CN Tower and Bracebridge Falls is a tradition for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada during awareness month, but the flag raising and the bonspiel are new additions to the schedule.

She said they have a great selection of auction items and a day of fun ready for the bonspiel on Nov. 9. Players can compete individually or as part of a team, and they’re welcome to join an existing team or form their own. For people who don’t want to play, attendees are welcome to sit on the sidelines or visit the auction. 

The flag raising on Nov. 4 also offers a free way for community members to show their support. While Muskoka has seen its share of flag raisings, this one is the first of its kind.

“The flag raising is going to be huge because Crohn’s and Colitis Canada does not do flag raisings right now, and this is the first one ever in Canada, so for me, it’s a huge thing,” Robinson said. “I feel like it’s going to set a precedent, and I think people will want to do it in their areas, so I’m really excited about it.”

One of the best ways to help is by spreading the word, she said. Sharing community events and educating others is at the heart of the awareness efforts, so social media and word of mouth go a long way. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will also be sharing information about its impact all month as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary, offering another way to learn about IBD.

Robinson knows firsthand the isolation and misunderstanding that comes with Crohn’s. People usually assume she’s fine because she’s busy with so many activities like being on council or taking care of her kids, but they don’t see the extensive planning for any travel or outings, the frequent disruptions and the other challenges.

That said, she encourages other people with IBD to see her progress and know they can do whatever they want in life. The disease doesn’t have to hold them back. There’s support out there, it’s just a matter of finding it, so she also urges anyone with Crohn’s or colitis to reach out to her or the organization.

While the symptoms may seem embarrassing at times, it’s a disease that takes a heavy mental and physical toll, so Robinson asks people to exercise empathy and open their minds to getting educated. The growth of the Gutsy Walk and the launch of the new events have her feeling optimistic about the future of IBD resources in the area.

“It gives me hope that things are going to change,” she said. “I’m excited for it. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen in the future with it, and I will advocate as much as I can to make it happen.”

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Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are the two primary forms of irritable bowel disease (IBD), a range of conditions that impact the gastrointestinal tract. IBD can impede nutrition and cause pain, fatigue and an array of other symptoms. The annual Gutsy Walk raises money and awareness to help work toward a cure. This year’s local walk is happening in Gravenhurst’s Gull Lake Rotary Park on June 2. Registration begins at 9 a.m. alongside a warm-up Zoomba session before the walk starts at 9:30. After the walk, the event will continue with a free barbeque lunch, live music from the Hounds of Barkway and a selection of door prizes. 

“It’s exciting that we’re celebrating 50 years,” said Michelle Robinson, chair of the Muskoka Gutsy Walk. “It’s a disease that a lot of people don’t talk about and don’t even know about and so I’m pretty excited to be part of it.”

Robinson has volunteered as the chair of the local walk for nine years and has been involved in the walk for more than a decade. She has Crohn’s disease, so she knows what it’s like to suffer in silence while dealing with IBD. It can be a hard topic to discuss, but with roughly 344,000 people in Canada affected by the condition, it’s essential.

That’s why Robinson is so passionate about advocating for people with Crohn’s and colitis. Though the condition is different for each person who has it, fostering a community can help people feel less alone. A group meets in Simcoe County, but the resources in Muskoka are limited.

“There’s nothing in Muskoka that I know of and even medically, there’s a [few] more doctors focusing on it, but not as much as we need,” Robinson said. “We need more specialists up here, and we still haven’t got that yet.”

All of the money raised from the walk goes to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. The organization uses the money to raise awareness, do advocacy work, fund research, and provide help to people with IBD and their families. The Muskoka Gutsy Walk is looking to raise $18,000 after blowing its goal out of the water last year, and the fundraiser is already over halfway there. 

Robinson urges locals to come and be a part of the Gutsy Walk to show support for people with Crohn’s and colitis. They need more support in Muskoka, she said, and it’s a great chance to walk, eat and share in community.

“It’s a day just to come out and speak up about the realities of life with Crohn’s and colitis disease,” she said. “Hopefully that will bring more doctors or interest in Muskoka so that we have those avenues to take.”

To make a donation or to sign up for the walk, click here.

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Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main forms of IBD, which inflames the lining of a person’s gastrointestinal tract and limits their ability to process food and absorb nutrition. The local Gutsy Walk will be at Gull Lake Rotary Park in Gravenhurst on June 4. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. followed by a live band, a barbecue and door prizes. Michelle Robinson, chair of the Muskoka Gutsy Walk, has severe Crohn’s disease and knows the isolation of IBD firsthand, which is why she’s been involved in the walk for over 10 years.

“I know when I first was diagnosed, I always felt alone because nobody I knew had it, and who do you talk to?” Robinson said. “It’s different to talk to a doctor than it is to talk [to] a support system.”

Robinson has been chair of the walk for the last eight years. Though the pandemic posed a major challenge, she made sure to keep Gutsy Walk alive through the quiet time of quarantine because she’s passionate about its ability to spread understanding of IBD.

Last year’s event was the first in-person walk since 2019. Robinson said it was great to see people walking in downtown Gravenhurst again, so she and her team are hoping to build on that success and get more people out to Gutsy Walk this year.

“I decided that I’m going to stay in it and keep it going to raise awareness in Muskoka,” she said. “There’s not many places to go in Muskoka for support for this disease, so I want everybody to have more awareness of it.”

The walk is a family-friendly event, so participants are encouraged to bring their children, pets and other family members along. The route goes through downtown Gravenhurst, and while the entire length is about 5 kilometres, participants can walk whatever distance they’re comfortable with.

While the walk has helped with IBD awareness in Muskoka, Robinson said there’s still work to be done. To that end, Bracebridge Falls will be lit up with purple light on May 19 to bring more awareness to Crohn’s and colitis on World IBD Day.

Because it’s a disease that impacts digestion, it can be hard for those affected to talk about it with their peers, Robinson said. Many people probably know someone with IBD, whether or not that person decided to disclose it. Increasing the local awareness of the autoimmune diseases helps drive funding while also reducing the stigma.

“There’s so many people out there with this disease, and a lot of people feel it’s an embarrassing disease, so a lot of people don’t like to talk about it, or they don’t know where to go to talk about it or get help,” she said. “We want to make that more comfortable for people and to get our message out there.”

The team behind the walk is excited to see nearly $9,000 already raised because the money goes on to provide patient support along with funding research that can lead to more effective treatments and, hopefully, a cure.

Right now, most people with IBD rely on medications to control their symptoms. If they find the right treatments, they can go into remission where the disease is no longer active, but it’s not a permanent fix. 

Robinson is currently in remission, but it took 10 years of surgeries, hospital visits and other disruptions to get there. She considers herself lucky to be in remission and to have the support she does from fellow people with IBD.

She encourages everyone to come out to Gutsy Walk and get involved. For people with IBD, it’s a chance to build community with others who have Crohn’s and colitis, and for those who don’t have it, it’s an opportunity to support members of their community who may be suffering in silence.

“It’s amazing the friendships I’ve built over the years with people that have the same disease and then we can share stories,” she said. “We get each other, so I would really really encourage people to come out, and it’s a really good way to support other people too.”

Though local resources like specialized doctors may be lacking, Robinson wants Muskoka residents with Crohn’s and colitis to know that they’re not alone. She urges anyone in need of support to reach out to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to find support groups and other resources. 

The honorary chair for Muskoka’s Gutsy Walk this year is Lindsay Hurren, who died in 2018 after facing cancer and multiple autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s. She participated in many Gutsy Walks throughout her life, the last of which was just one month before she died.

She spent her last days in Muskoka, her happy place, and a memorial tree and plaque sit on the trail of Huckleberry Rock to commemorate one of her favourite spots. Lindsay’s mom Cathy McIvor will be attending the Gutsy Walk in Gravenhurst to share her daughter’s story and emphasize the seriousness of Crohn’s disease.

“If inflammation is not controlled in a timely manner, it can and does have fatal implications,” McIvor said in an online statement. “We must find the answers. Lindsay was determined to make an impact in this world, and she certainly exceeded her goal. It takes guts to make a difference.”

To register for the walk or make a donation, visit gutsywalk.ca.

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Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and while there are a range of treatment options, there is no cure. They cause the body to attack itself, inflaming the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and disrupting the body’s ability to properly digest food and absorb nutrients. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has hosted their annual walk in Muskoka since 2014, and after two years of virtual events, they’re excited to be back in person on Sunday, June 5. Registration begins at 9 a.m. followed by the opening ceremonies at 9:45 and the start of the walk at 10. 

“We’re super excited to come together as a community so people know that they’re not alone in their journey,” said Nicole Sage, coordinator of development and community engagement for Muskoka and the surrounding areas. “It’s great to be able to do all the fundraising that we do, but to have the community come together and have that in-person ability is really great.”

Sage is passionate about Crohn’s and Colitis Canada because of her personal connection to the cause. Multiple members of her family live with Crohn’s and colitis, so she’s familiar with the conditions from a caregiving perspective. She said it’s important for the loved ones of people with IBD to be educated about and aware of what it’s like to live with these conditions so that they can provide the best support possible.

Crohn’s and colitis can affect every aspect of life, which is what makes Gutsy Walk so important. Some people spend months in the hospital trying to get a diagnosis and when they finally determine what’s going on, it can take a long time to figure out the right treatment plan. It’s often a complicated and lengthy process, Sage said, and it’s one that’s complicated further for people living in rural areas.

“You never know who might be affected,” she said. “More than 300,000 Canadians are living with inflammatory bowel disease and usually people know somebody that has a diagnosis and so if you can learn a little bit more about it, then you can help that person feel a little bit more comfortable.”

On top of providing community support to people with IBD, Gutsy Walk is Canada’s biggest fundraising event in support of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Participants across the country raised more than $2.3 million last year, which allowed Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to invest in eight new research projects. This year, the organization is looking to raise $2.9 million nationwide with a goal of $23,390 in Muskoka. 

“Every dollar raised through the Gutsy Walk really helps Crohn’s and Colitis Canada in our efforts to raise awareness of the diseases, providing support for patients and their families, advocating to governments and stakeholders on behalf of those affected by Crohn’s and colitis, and fueling the research that’s going to lead to more effective treatments and ultimately, the cures,” Sage said.

She encourages locals to register and get involved because Gutsy Walk is a great chance to learn more while enjoying live music, coffee, snacks and prizes. There’s a stigma associated with talking about digestive conditions and the issues that come along with them, so the event allows locals to walk alongside their fellow community members living with IBD both literally and figuratively.

“There’s people that are living with these conditions and sometimes they feel alone,” Sage said. “If we can talk about it more, we can raise awareness, we can hopefully try to reduce the stigma, and people will feel more comfortable and realize that they’re not alone.”

To register for Gutsy Walk, visit the event website. Anyone with questions can reach out to Nicole Sage and her team at gutsywalk_ON_North@crohnsandcolitis.ca or at 1-800-387-1479 ext. 274. Watch the video below from World IBD Day to learn more.

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Gutsy Walk is taking place as a virtual event on Sunday, June 6, 2021

What is Gutsy Walk?
· Gutsy Walk is an annual nationwide event that brings communities from coast to coast together to show support for the 270,000 Canadians living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and raises funds for much-needed research and support programs.
· As Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s largest research fundraiser, Gutsy Walk has raised over $46 million (CAD) since it first began in 1996 for research that
advances our understanding of Crohn’s and colitis, which helps improve quality of life for everyone facing these diseases and moves us closer to cures.
· Money raised through the event also funds vital support programs for people with Crohn’s or colitis and their caregivers.
· The fun-filled event is volunteer-driven with volunteer committees in 60 locations across the country making Gutsy Walk possible as they spread the word about the event and fundraise in their community.
· The volunteers are extremely committed to the cause with some individuals volunteering for all 26 Gutsy Walks.

How can someone participate in the virtual Gutsy Walk?
· Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Gutsy Walk is taking place as a virtual event to ensure everyone’s safety, health, and well-being.
· In the past, Gutsy Walk entailed a 5 km walk hosted at a park site, but our 2021 event looks a little bit different. This year, participants will take part in their own walk in their neighborhood or nearby park while staying within their bubble.
· A virtual celebration is taking place on event day, and Gutsy Walkers will show their support and help raise awareness by sharing pictures of their walk using
#gutsywalk on social media and tagging Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s social media accounts.
· Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s social media accounts include @getgutsycanada
(Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and @ayezducran (Facebook and Twitter).

What is the fundraising goal for the 2021 Gutsy Walk?
· The fundraising goal is $2.2 million (CAD).
How much did Gutsy Walk raise in 2020?
· The 2020 Gutsy Walk raised over $1.8 million (CAD)
Why should members of the community participate?
· Life with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can be lonely, debilitating, and unpredictable. By participating in Gutsy Walk, you are showing the 270,000
Canadians living with these diseases that they are not alone.
· Your support will make a lasting positive impact as you are creating awareness, raising critical funds that will support the next big breakthrough in IBD research,
and enable us to offer vital support programs to people with IBD and caregivers.
· Funds raised support research dedicated to discovering the causes and triggers of the diseases, enhancing or identifying new treatments, supporting symptom management, and discovering new ways to provide the very best care.
· With most of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s fundraising events cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we desperately need funds to continue investing in promising research and support programs.

How can members of the community register, donate, volunteer or learn more?
· You can volunteer, donate, register or learn more about Gutsy Walk at gutsywalk.ca or gutsyenmarche.ca.
· You can register for the event as an individual, create a team, or join a team.
· Available volunteer roles include coordinating a local Gutsy Walk committee, media relations, social media, community outreach, sponsorship, and many more.

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