On a bright Saturday morning in Brandon, Manitoba, more than 300 people laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement together. The occasion was the 2026 BAPS Charities Walk-Run, held on June 27, drawing families, elders, and children to celebrate community spirit through service.
The Brandon event was part of a much larger movement. Across Canada and the United States, more than 50,000 people in over 100 cities participated in BAPS Charities walkathons this year — gatherings that have raised funds for local causes for over two decades. In total, BAPS Charities has organized more than 1,200 walkathons in the past 20 years.
But in Brandon, the focus was deeply local. The event raised money for three organizations working to improve health in the region: the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, the William Osler Health System Foundation, and the CNIB Foundation, which supports people impacted by blindness.
Brandon's own Mayor Jeff Fawcett joined the walk, moving through the crowd alongside residents of all ages. He praised the intergenerational turnout — grandparents walking alongside grandchildren — and called on the community to keep supporting each other.
"I see people that are good Brandonites doing good things around the world and doing good things for people here locally," Mayor Fawcett said. "Thank you for being good examples on how to live good lives."
MLA Wayne Balcaen sent greetings from afar, calling BAPS Charities' work a testament to what happens when people gather "with open hearts and a shared desire to help others."
One of the event's beneficiaries, the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, offered a concrete vision for how the funds will help. Executive Director Jo-Ann Lewis thanked participants for supporting a new Critical Care Centre planned for the hospital — a building that will include 16 intensive care unit beds and 30 internal medicine beds. The new facility aims to bring advanced, life-saving care closer to home for people across the entire region.
"Your generous donation will have a lasting impact on our community," Lewis said.
Deputy Chief Michael Lees of Brandon Fire & Emergency Services also attended, standing alongside volunteers and supporters who showed up not just for a morning walk, but for the neighbors those funds would eventually help.
For Brandon, this walk-run was more than a fitness event. It was proof that when a city shows up — generation after generation — it can build something lasting together.