Two teachers from Ecole francophonie d'Airdrie have very personal, if very different reasons, for taking part in an upcoming event.

Simon Brisebois and Arnaud Truchi will set out in the 100 km Kidney March, September 8th to the 10th and, as Brisebois explained, they each have a very personal reason for being involved.

"There's two objectives.  One is in memory of my mother who passed away last month.  She was on dialysis for six years and she lost a battle against cancer.  My colleague Arnaud, his kidneys are failing eventually because he got a transplant.  When you get a transplant you need anti-rejection meds and those meds are taking other organs and most often the kidneys are the ones to suffer."

The two took part in Sunday afternoon's annual school barbecue at Ecole francophonie.  Money that was collected from the dunk tank and half of the funds from to 50-50 draw were going to help them reach their goal of $4,400 for the Kidney March.  The school is very involved as some grade 12 students will form a support crew for Brisebois and Truchi.

"There going to be setting up the camps, acting as a cheer crew, support crew.  They're going to be under the wing of the foundation.  They're going to help out and it's going to be part of their curriculum over here at the school as well.  We are a UNESCO school so they have to give out to the community and that's what they're going to be doing, helping our crew walking and at the same time the other crews who are going to do the walk too."

The two are going to be training throughout the summer, Brisebois says, walking a minimum of 40 kilometres a week. 

Brisebois says he certainly wouldn't mind if they surpassed their fundraising goal.  "Oh my god, yes, it would be nice.  We're trying to reach our goal one step at a time."

 

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