荔枝视频

What inspires someone to walk 100 kilometres in three days? 

For more than 15 years, the has brought together thousands of participants, each committing to raise a minimum of $2,200 in support of  .  

But the event is more than a fundraiser, it鈥檚 a deeply personal and transformative experience. And a 荔枝视频 initiative is helping share those stories. 

For many, the motivation to take part in the event is personal: a life-altering diagnosis, a loved one affected by kidney disease or a desire to support a community that often goes unseen. Kidney conditions are frequently invisible to the public eye, yet their impact can be profound. 

Digital storytelling video project captures emotional journeys  

To explore what makes the Kidney March so special, Dr. , MSc鈥�15, PhD鈥�21, a digital storytelling expert and adjunct professor in the , is teaming up with The Kidney Foundation of Canada and U荔枝视频鈥檚 hub (also known as the HIVE). 

Together, they鈥檙e developing a digital storytelling research project, , to uncover the 鈥渟ecret sauce鈥� behind the the lasting impact of the Kidney March.

, PhD, dean of the Faculty of Nursing, is the principal investigator for the study. Danielle Fox, a PhD candidate in nursing, co-facilitated the workshops with Mike Lang. 

Lang guides marchers by helping them find meaningful moments in their experiences and then teaches creative screenwriting principles and video editing techniques that can help them tell their story. He says the process can be emotionally intense, and not all participants choose to continue once they begin. 

鈥淒igital storytelling gives people a sense of agency,鈥� says Lang. 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 choose what happened to them, but they can choose how they tell the story.鈥� 

There鈥檚 something powerful about giving marchers the opportunity to tell their own stories, says HIVE manager Suzanna Crawford, BSc鈥�11, BN鈥�13, MN鈥�20. 

鈥淪tories elicit emotion 鈥� and, when you connect with someone emotionally, something shifts inside you,鈥� says Crawford.  

鈥淒igital storytelling brings forward the humanness that鈥檚 often missing in health care.鈥� 

2025 march a summer-long effort 

This year鈥檚 Kidney March followed a different format from previous events. In past years, participants walked the full 100 km together over three days, camping overnight for two nights. 

But this year, marchers were asked to complete the first 85 km on their own, any time between June 1 and Sept. 6.  

The final 15 kilometres will be walked together on Sept. 7 at the Millarville Racetrack southwest of 荔枝视频, all in support of raising funds for programs and support services.   

Making a difference 

What compels someone to take on such a physically and emotionally demanding journey? 

鈥淢archers know they're making a difference, but the community connection, the community that they become part of 鈥� we call it our Kidney March family,鈥� says Joyce Van Deurzen, BEd鈥�86, executive director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada (Southern Alberta). 

Van Deurzen says the Foundation became interested in the emphasis on innovation and community collaboration with the HIVE and Faculty of Nursing. 

鈥淲e believe in the power of partnership and collaboration, and nothing happens without that in this world,鈥� says Van Deurzen. 

Watch all the digital stories . 

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