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On Oct. 28, as a part of Spina Bifida Awareness Month, the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky (SBAK) will host its 2023 KY Walk-N-Roll.

Three weeks beforehand, Winchester is committed to the same cause.

The local Winchester Walk-N-Roll, also in association with SBAK, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at College Park on Wheeler Avenue.

Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation has partnered with SBAK for this year’s event.

The Walk-N-Roll event has been taking place in Winchester since 2020 despite COVID-19 taking place.

“When the world shut down, the Spina Bifida Association, in general, decided to do virtual walks. So, in 2020, we had our first virtual walk,” said Amie Moore, who works alongside the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky and whose son, Lincoln, has Spina Bifida. “There was a decent team of us who got together at [Robert D. Campbell Junior High School] that year, and we did a lap or so…to raise awareness. We did have some local businesses who raised funds.”

Spina bifida, a condition that affects the spine, is usually apparent at birth.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, spina bifida can happen anywhere along the spine if the neural tube doesn’t close all the way, creating a circumstance in which the backbone that protects the spinal cord doesn’t form and close as it should.

Thus, damage to the spinal cord arises, which can cause physical and intellectual disabilities ranging from mild to severe depending on the size and location of the opening of the spine and whether part of the spinal cord and nerves are affected.

Last year’s Walk-N-Roll, which took place at Legacy Grove Park, was the most successful to date and featured many businesses donating items to raise awareness and funding for spina bifida.

This year, the auction will be online from Oct. 1-6.

The Facebook event page can be found by searching Winchester Walk N Roll Auction for the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky.

Yet, that’s not all.

World Spina Bifida Day is Oct. 25.

Also, as mentioned, the state-wide Walk-N-Roll event is on Oct. 28 in Louisville.

Each child or adult with Spina Bifida comes up with a team name, helping to raise money.

Funds are used toward free programs and services, including adaptive sports events, life skills classes, financial assistance, and more.

Thus far, the Love for Lincoln fundraising page has received over $1,700.

Information can be accessed at the link below.

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2spbifidassociokw/team/926422/.

While fundraising is a good way to give back, Moore notes that there is also greater value.

“Six years ago is when my world turned upside down, and we got that diagnosis of spina bifida, which I had really never heard of,” Moore said. “This is a way to raise awareness for children like my son and adults as well.”