The Darryl Gorman Memorial Walk has been held in June each year since 2001 and has raised a collective total of $55,000 for Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) (click here to read the history). Members of Darryl’s family would coordinate the participants, organize the prizes for a raffle, but unfortunate circumstances meant the regular organizers cancelled the 2013 walk.
However, the community still wanted to walk, so supporters of the event came together to make it happen! Since it was already close to the traditional walk date when they decided to hold the event, the date has been pushed back to August 24, 2013 to allow time for people to collect donations and prepare.
“We also thought that we may get a nice day then as well, not that the weather has ever been an issue for us,” said Krista Gorman, a member of the organizing committee, and wife of Darryl’s cousin, Jarret.
She says they participate in the walk each year and “wouldn’t miss it.”
“I do the walk for the memory of Darryl and it is like a reunion for all of us each year. You see people at the walk that you haven’t seen since the walk the previous year,” said Gorman.
Jennifer Ezekiel grew up on the same street as Darryl. They were the same age and went through school together. She says she has only missed one walk, and that’s because she was backpacking in Australia. “Even though I was enjoying my time halfway across the world, I really wished I was home on that day!”
“With events like this, when a year is missed there is always that fear that it will be forgotten. Honestly, I don’t see that ever happening with this event; it is so near and dear to all of our hearts. This is such a wonderful cause and we all really look forward to it each and every year which is why we really wanted to make it happen,” said Gorman.
“When June came and went this year and there was no announcement of a walk, I had many people approach me asking when it was taking place and how much they look forward to it,” Ezekiel said.
Ezekiel says although she supports YACC, she mainly participates to honour Darryl’s memory.
“There’s an obvious connection that we share which was strengthened when Darryl passed away. He was always someone that you enjoyed being around and he had a way of bringing everyone together, so it’s no surprise that there are so many people who want to continue getting together to celebrate his life year after year!
“This walk is important in keeping Darryl’s memory alive, but the cause is a great one which helps individuals who are going through what he went through. It’s rewarding to know that our efforts could help provide support to young adults with cancer because it’s not something you should go through alone. I’m not sure if there was an organization like YACC back when Darryl was fighting cancer, but I would have been comforted knowing he had the support from a group like this that could offer a kind of help that I couldn’t!”
The route has changed this year, and will go from The Hat Lounge to the Legion. The first 100 people to register that day will get a memorial wrist band.
Gorman said, “We are all happy to have been a part of the planning process this year and look forward to it being yet another successful event.”
Details
When: August 24, 2013 at 2 p.m.
Where: Registration will be at the Legion at 1 p.m. and the walk will go to The Hat Lounge. Please contact Krista (709-743-5093) or Jennifer (709-486-6422) if you need directions.
Hickey’s Busses have generously offered to shuttle people from the Legion to the start of the walk every 15 minutes between 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Interested in participating? Download the pledge sheet!
Interested in donating to the event? Visit the online fundraising page.
