Walk with your Doc gets the whole community moving in Port Alberni, BC

Five years of doctors walking with patients

Walk with your Doc week takes place May 3 – 11. Doctors and patients are telling their Walk with your Doc stories about why they started, what they experienced, and how their lives have changed. If you have a story about Walk with your Doc that you’d like to share please contact View Email Addressetimmerman@doctorsofbc.ca.

Walk with your Doc gets the whole community moving in Port Alberni, BC

Each year for the past four years the town of Port Alberni, BC, enjoys a large Walk with your Doc event that brings out over 95% of the town’s doctors and hundreds of its residents.

“I can’t deny I get satisfaction hearing we’re the most successful Walk in BC,” laughs Dr Daryl Lund, who started the community event in 2011 with an impressive 200 walkers. “Now we have a challenge to stay on top, I hear events are growing in Chilliwack and Vancouver.”

Dr Lund likes Walk with your Doc because it sends a positive message of physicians caring for their patients.“ In 2011 we organized a walking program in conjunction with Walk with your Doc and patients used the free pedometers to track their steps leading up to the event,” said Dr Lund. “On the event day we had a group walk and handed out awards to patients who were the most inspirational.”

The town of Port Alberni decided to get involved with the event after AV Multiplex manager, Ron Doetzel, saw the crowd of walkers in its first year and recognized its potential. A committee was created to organize future events, with members from the Integrated Health Network, the town’s Parks and Recreation department, and Dr Lund as its chair.

Now in its fourth year the walk attracts nearly a thousand residents, and thirty doctors from a variety of disciplines, such as GP’s, psychiatrists, internists, surgeons, and pediatricians.

Samantha Barrowcliff, Dr Lund’s assistant and coordinator of the event, says it’s wonderful watching the physicians engage with their patients as they walk side-by-side at the Bob Dailey Stadium. “Many patients come with signs and banners supporting their Docs,” she said.

While the event attracts many of the 50 year old plus crowd, lots of families sign up too because of the kid friendly activities.

Several tents are set up with health care information kiosks, and participants can join in boot camp, belly dancing, lawn bowling, tai chi, and Zumba demonstrations. There is live music to dance to and Quality Foods provides fresh veggies, fruits, and water for walkers.

“Our basic guidelines are that vendors cannot promote or sell a product, and they must be there to encourage activity,” says Samantha.

She credits the committee’s “cheerleaders” for helping make the event so successful. “We have a Facebook page, we present at City Council meetings, we organize media interviews, we create Walk with your Doc business cards for physicians to hand out,” says Samantha. “When you have a team as passionate about this event as we are, it’s hard not to catch the energy!”

Dr Lund and 30 other physicians will be walking around the Bob Dailey Stadium with their patients for this year’s Walk with your Doc event, Thursday May 8, at 5 PM. To register please contact Samantha at View Email AddressSamantha.barrowcliff@viha.ca.

To learn more about other walking events happening around BC, visit walkwithyourdoc.ca.