About the Ismaili Walk

The Ismaili Walk was founded in 1992 by the Ismaili Muslim Community of BC and benefits a local non-profit organization. The Walk raises funds to further the mandate of partner non-profit organizations. To date, the Walk has raised over $3.2M for local community organizations that have included local hospitals, food banks, the Vancouver Public Library, Simon Fraser University, Habitat for Humanity, the Crisis Center of Greater Vancouver, United Way, and the Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI) at BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Foundation.

All proceeds from the 2011 Ismaili Walk will support the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Take the Pressure Down campaign. Stroke and heart disease are the cause of one in three Canadian deaths and are a leading cause of disability. Hypertension, commonly called high blood pressure, is the main precursor to both ailments and is controllable; however, most people with hypertension do not know they have it. In fact, as many as 400,000 British Columbians have untreated high blood pressure and are at much greater risk for heart disease and stroke. The Take the Pressure Down campaign works to identify and alert high risk populations in our community and effect behavioural change to lower individual rates. Through educational programs we reach thousands of British Columbians annually, including children and youth. Through the school based Heart Smart Kids curriculum, young British Columbians learn to avoid smoking, increase physical activity and adopt healthy eating habits. Hypertension awareness saves lives: your coworker’s, your neighbour’s, maybe even your own.

Learn more about how you can Take the Pressure Down.