While thousands of people were participating in a walk for people with AIDS in Vancouver Sunday, two islanders did the same thing here, walking from Skidegate to Queen Charlotte and back.
Lauren Brown, who works at the Skidegate Health Centre, said she has participated many times in the Vancouver "Walk for Life" event, held every September by the BC Person with AIDS Society.
This year, she decided to organize her own walk. On Sunday morning, she and partner Mark Grinder, with their baby Taangunaay, walked 11 km in a couple of hours, raising $875 for the AIDS society.
"It just felt so good to do something," she said. "I'm pretty excited that I was able to contribute so much."
Her mom and two aunties decorated the highway with red balloons and signs celebrating their effort.
Ms Brown said she, like many others, has been affected both personally and professionally by AIDS, with two of her cousins living with the syndrome.
She said islanders were incredibly generous when they learned what she was raising money for, and she's hoping next year she can organize a bigger event.
"They know it's for a good cause and that we are not immune in our small communities," she said.