GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s Upper Great Lakes region is hosting its annual West Michigan Team Hope walk and 5K.
This is a national fundraising event that takes place in more than 100 cities across the country.
More than $20 million has been raised to fight Huntington’s Disease, a fatal genetic disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain.
“No matter where you are in your journey with Huntington's disease, it's just important to know that you're not alone. There's somebody within this community that understands what you're going through and can be there for you for whatever you need, whether it's emotional support, or connecting you to additional resources for financial support to ease the burden of taking care of a loved one,” Ashley Greenway, the event organizer, said.
About 41,000 Americans have the disease and another 200,000 are at risk of inheriting it, which is why fundraisers like this are so important.
“With it being so rare to have, we need as much awareness as we can get to raise the money that we need," Greenway said.
"It's not the type of organization that has people just throwing money at it. So, it's very important to us to raise awareness and to raise money for it. So, we can get the help that we need for the families who are suffering from this disease."
The event starts at 11:30 a.m. at Grand Ravines Lodge in Jenison.
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