More than 500 people came out on Sunday for the Walk to Cure Diabetes in Kelowna.
The fundraiser is held every year by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Money raised from the event, which had participants walk three kilometres through Mission Park Greenway, will go towards funding research and clinical trials to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
Pam Prentice, senior fundraising and development coordinator for JDRF in the Okanagan, says the rate of juvenile diabetes is increasing nationwide.
Prentice, whose son Jacob suffers from the autoimmune disease, says living with diabetes can be challenging because there are many things patients must do to keep their blood sugar level in check.
Joshua Holmes agrees.
The teen was diagnosed with Type One diabetes three years ago.
He says having the disease often interferes with just being a kid.
Holmes says when he and his friends go out to play or do activities like paintballing, he has to constantly check his blood sugar.
The teen says he is happy about the turnout at the event because it shows him just how many people care about the disease.
He also says he is confident a cure will be found one day.
The walk raised $159,105.
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