The chairperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Innisfail is a woman with special missions.
Not only does she head the board of the local non-profit agency for youth, she has pushed herself on a 100-kilometre march for the past seven years to help those with kidney disease.
“It's the seventh year myself and my family has been involved,” said Charlene Preston, who was born and raised in Hanna but now lives in Sundre, where she works as the office assistant at the Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre riding's constituency office.
Preston was the executive assistant to former Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Kerry Towle for two and a half years, and was elected to head the Innisfail youth agency earlier this year.
“I still come to Innisfail at least once a month, sometimes two, three or four times a month depending on when we need stuff done,” said Preston.
The annual Kidney March took place from Sept. 9 to 11, starting at the racetrack at Millarville. The 100-kilometre march was broken down over three days.
“Our first day is 35 kilometres, our second day is 38 kilometres, and then our third day is 27 kilometres. We finish at the top of Canada Olympic Park,” where the closing ceremonies are held, she said.
“Everyone walks down together, including staff and volunteers. It's kind of cool because it's very surreal knowing that you're walking down the same Olympic hill that the athletes did in 1988.”
Since the Kidney March first started in 2010, only 16 people have continuously remained involved over the years, she said.
“People come and go, but there is that core group. My dad (Richard Preston) and I are two of the walkers who (will) have walked all seven years.”
Her mom Charlotte Preston has also been involved since the beginning as a volunteer crew member.
“They're the ones cheering us on at rest stops,” Charlene said about the volunteers, adding the medical team is invaluable and provides help with blisters, which are a fairly common arch-nemesis for long-distance walkers.
When asked what compelled or motivated her to continue participating in the annual march, she told Mountain View Publishing it is largely about supporting the initiative but also continuing what has become a family tradition.
When she heard about plans for the inaugural Kidney March on the radio, Charlene found herself wanting to try it out. Her sister, Joleen Scott, also decided to get involved and they both registered for the event in the winter of 2009.
Their grandfather, Melvin Metzger, has kidney disease and was in hospital at the time the sisters announced their intention to walk the Kidney March, she said.
“He (initially) didn't approve and said, ‘You girls can't fix me.'”
But they simply explained that their decision was not just about him, but rather about the fact that one in 10 people suffer from issues with their kidneys and that there is no cure for kidney disease.
“It was about personal growth, awareness for the cause, and not ending up with kidney problems,” she said, adding it has always been her hope to increase awareness about the disease, and to raise money to fund not only research to combat it but also to support preventive care programs like screenings.
After being told that, Metzger was convinced and even decided to contribute the first $100 for the sisters' fundraising campaign, she said.
That same year, their father Richard turned 65 and had separately on his own time heard about the Kidney March on the radio and announced he would also take part. When their mom Charlotte asked him whether he had discussed his decision with Charlene and Joleen, Richard said “no” and wondered why. Incidentally, they all ended up on the same team, which they decided to call Team M&M in honour of the sisters' grandfather, who is still with us after 11 years on dialysis, she said.
“We all had our own reasons for walking. But ultimately it came down to our connection with kidney disease. This was a cause we decided to get behind.”
Over the past six years, the team has raised — not including this year's fundraising effort — almost $85,000. Each marcher is responsible for raising at least $2,200 while each crew member has to raise at least $300, she said.
Anyone wanting to support their efforts can visit kidneymarch.ca, click “Sponsor a Marcher” and follow the prompts. Donations are being accepted online until the end of October.
