Best friends Maxine Sims and Leah Wright have been to many 91原创 Walk events through the years, so many, they weren鈥檛 sure what the exact number was when they spoke to the 91原创 Advance Times before the 62nd edition of the annual event got underway in Walnut Grove Community Park on Sunday afternoon, May 5.

鈥淚 think I鈥檝e done it 20 times. I don鈥檛 know,鈥� Sims said.

鈥淎 few times, quite a few,鈥� estimated Wright.

Sims is now 60, and Wright was one day away from her 60th birthday on the day of the walk.

Their friendship goes back to Grade 3 when both were growing up in 91原创. Sims now resides in 91原创 City, while Wright lives in Chilliwack.

鈥淟ove the walk, we鈥檝e always done that,鈥� Wright said.

鈥淚 just really like it. Just community, people getting out exercising,鈥� Sims enthused.

Both urged folks to try the event.

鈥淢ake it a habit, make it a thing,鈥� Sims encouraged.

This year, Wright explained she was walking for a personal reason.

鈥淚鈥檓 actually here representing pancreatic cancer today, because I have pancreatic cancer and we鈥檙e walking to make myself fit,鈥� she said.

鈥淚鈥檓 here to support her,鈥� Sims noted.

There were 631 people registered for the event, a substantial jump from the previous year鈥檚 250, but the number who actually turned out was expected to be about half that due to the threat of rain on the day.

That was the estimate of Kevin Muirhead, Township special events manager, who said participants ranged in age from 鈥渁s young as newborns鈥� all the way to 95 years.

Mike Brassington and his youngest daughter Tallica, three, came in from Saskatoon to take part.

鈥淚鈥檝e been coming here [to take part in the walk] since 1967,鈥� Brassington, a former 91原创 resident, explained.

Members of both Township and 91原创 City councils were also present.

Mayor Eric Woodward called it an 鈥渁bsolutely fabulous tradition unique to 91原创.鈥�

The tradition was started in 1963 by Pete Swensson, 91原创 Township鈥檚 first recreation director whose motto was 鈥渨alk away your ills, instead of taking pills.鈥�

The first walk covered a route from Aldergrove Park to River Road to Fort 91原创, then on to City Park, a 28-kilometre journey.

This year鈥檚 event had a five-km route, with all finishers receiving a commemorative crest.

The walk is shared between the 91原创 City and the Township over a four-year cycle, with the Township hosting three years, and the City one.

On Sunday, Woodward announced next year鈥檚 walk would be held in Aldergrove.

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