About 75 people took part in the the first annual kidney walk in Fort Langley today.
The 2.5 kilometre kidney walk through the Fort village began at the Fort Langley National Historic Site at 10 a.m.
Some participants were kidney transplant recipients who shared their stories before the walk got underway.
Charlie Fox was one of them.
The veteran Township councillor was there in his capacity as acting mayor and did not have time to take part in the walk, but did talk about his own experience with kidney disease.
Fox said he was diagnosed at the age of 19 with an inherited condition from his mother's side of the family that eventually caused his kidneys to fail.
Seven years ago, Fox had transplant surgery.
The donor was his wife.
"It has given me and our family a new lease on life," Fox said.
According to the Kidney Foundation, there are 3,500 people in B.C. currently on dialysis, and about half will die waiting for a kidney transplant.
The Fort Langley walk was one of several throughout B.C.
The 2016 Kidney Walk will raise funds for the Kidney Foundation to support transplantation and organ donation.
