James Fund walk/run returns on Oct. 14 at Trent

The 13th annual James Fund walk/run is slated for Oct 14.

The event raises funds for neuroblastoma cancer research.

Neuroblastoma cancer is a childhood cancer, affecting eight to 10 per cent of children in North America.

The James Fund was created by the family of James Birrell, a child with neuroblastoma cancer. They hoped to fund research that would help save his life.

When James died at age eight in 2001, they continued raising funds. The walk was one such of these efforts, starting in 2005.

The James Fund walk/run has helped contribute to the more than $12 million that the James Fund has raised since its inception.

Neuroblastoma causes a disproportionate amount of childhood deaths.

It usually occurs in children under five years old, but can occur in children under one year old.

The James Fund was started to start taking a deeper look into this disease and it has helped many children. An example is Jake Ward. The six-year-old was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer before he turned one. Thanks to research that the James Fund helped set in motion, he’s receiving the treatment he needs.

His mother, Candice, has a high regard for the event. In a press release, she states, “Through the prayers, love, and support from everyone, especially the James Fund that put neuroblastoma on the research map, we know in our hearts that Jake is still here because of The James Fund.”

Jake’s story doesn’t mean that the event has lost its necessity. Despite the aggressive research on neuroblastoma cancer over the past 20 years, only modest improvements have occurred in the disease.

The 5 k or 10 k walk/run is to be hosted at Trent University. It starts at 10:30 a.m. and goes to

1:30 p.m.

To register, go online at www.sickkidsfoundation.com/ page/jamesfundrun. More information on the event and the James Fund can be found at www.thejamesfund.com