Butter tarts and kidney beans

By Linda Jensen Times Contributor

What do butter tarts and kidneys have in common? Leah Lalonde.
Leah owns the Canadian Buttertart Factory in Strathmore, and from Sept. 6 to 8, she will raise money for the Kidney Foundation by walking 100 kilometres (km), from Millarville to Canada Olympic Park, under the team name Kidneybeans.
Lalonde describes herself as crazy, social and caring. These attributes and an important friendship are her motivation to walk 33 km a day for three days in September.
“I have a friend whose husband is awaiting a kidney transplant. Kidney disease is a silent illness. (In fact) they call it the silent killer,” said Lalonde. “Everyone donates to cancer, but what about kidney disease?”
For a $100 fee, through kidneymarch.ca, each individual sets a fundraising goal. Lalonde’s goal was $200, but she has already surpassed that. As well, each team sets a goal. Kidneybeans’ goal is $5,000.
“I’m looking at it as a weekend away in scenic Kananaskis,” said Lalonde. “Everyone is going to help everyone else out and I am going to make the best of it. Besides, they offer us meals, showers, massages, drivers and tent city volunteers to relocate our tent. It’s going to be awesome.”
So just how is Lalonde preparing for this endeavour? “As part of the training package, a packing list, a T-shirt and an activity schedule encourages each walker to get fit daily. For example, Day 1 might be a two km walk, and Day 2 could be walking to the summit of a hill. (To) firm that butt up is my intention,” joked Lalonde.
Also recommended are two new pairs of trained-in running shoes, and two pairs of box socks plus daily outfits packed in large Ziploc bags.
While the Kidney Walk encourages no alcohol, no earbuds when walking and night-time campfires, they also are the inspiration for a good healthy lifestyle. Participants can walk together or in groups, enjoy the outdoors and the scenery, be fed, watered, provided music, pampered and welcomed to Canada Olympic Park by their families and volunteers after the walk.
The Kidney march’s ambitious $1 million goal has already been halfway met.
The Canadian Buttertart Factory is no stranger to raising money for good causes. One of their first, held before last Christmas, was for a local hockey team.
“The second was 320 dozen tarts for a girls’ lacrosse team on the May long weekend,” said Lalonde. “Those 22-hour days are long ones. We also have a potential 500 dozen request from Bragg Creek.”