Hundreds of Calgarians walk to raise money for invisible illnesses

Two hundred people laced up their sneakers and walked along a pathway in the northwest community of Montgomery to participate in the Gutsy Walk.

The event raises money and awareness for Crohn's and Colitis.

These are diseases that inflame the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt your body's ability to digest food, absorb nutrition, and eliminate waste in a healthy manner.

They are lifelong disease and people can experience acute periods of active symptoms and other times their symptoms are absent.

“Something difficult to believe about Crohn's and Colitis is it's an invisible illness. Someone might not be feeling well, and you can't really tell if you look at them so it's really important to raise awareness about the disease in that context,” said Calgary Crohn's and Colitis Canada chapter president Yas Habibyn.

Signs and symptoms can include abdominal pain and cramping; severe diarrhea; rectal bleeding; blood in stool; weight loss and diminished appetite.

The exact cause remains unknown so there is no cure.

“The incidence of Crohn's and Colitis is actually increasing. We have over 300,000 Canadians currently diagnosed and every year, we have about 10,000 more people getting diagnosed; so it's really important that we work together to find a solution to this growing disease,” added Habibyn.

There were walks in 20 locations across Canada Sunday and organizers hope to raise one million dollars collectively.