The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer What started out as a hopeful way to raise awareness for a cause close to one teen's heart has grown into an annual walk across town. Michael Kluba started the Walkathon for Cerebral Palsy in September 2007 to help bring awareness and a little bit of money to the cause. Living with spastic cerebral palsy, Kluba's cousin, Ryan Nelson, is always front and centre at the walks _ and the inspiration for the event. Bound to a wheelchair, Nelson is a quadriplegic who is unable to move his arms and legs. Unable to talk, Nelson uses eye movements and head nods to communicate. 'It's easy for us to communicate, but it's still a bit of a guessing game,' Kluba said in 2007 before the first walk got underway. With mainly family and close friends attending the walk, communication flows between participants and Nelson. Chatting about the weather and the turnout, Nelson was surrounded by 24 walkers this year as the group made their way from Hapnot Collegiate to uptown and back to the school. The walk generated roughly $2,500 on Sept. 15. Though a few less participants showed up for the walk this year, Kluba says they had fun just as they do every year. 'I'm really proud of everyone,' he said in an e-mail as he headed back to Saskatoon for school the following day. Over the course of six years, the local walk has generated $25,000 for the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, said Kluba. With no cure in sight for cerebral palsy, the walk will continue to bring awareness and funds to this cause.
