The annual Meagan's Walk will take place on Mother's Day, 10 May, at Ontario Place, Toronto, Canada. This year's goal is to raise $400,000. A total of $1.4m has been raised over the years for brain tumor research. See: www.meaganswalk.com The very engaging photo on the left was taken during the 2007 walk by photographer Gord Cheong and was used recently to illustrate the combined IBTA/UICC statement about childhood cancers.

Chiltern Walk (Brain Tumour UK): Sunday 4 October, meeting at The Old Swan Pub, Swan Bottom, Bucks, HP16 9NU.  There will be three led groups, leaving at 2pm, 2.15pm and 2.30pm.  The walk is approximately 4.5 miles on clearly defined footpaths.  There's a very short distance on a steepish incline and only four styles.  Reckon on up to 2 hours (max) walking time and be prepared for muddy conditions if the weather is bad. Our target is to beat last year's magnificent total of 6,500 kms to be donated to the IBTA's Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours target.  Email kiki.connor@braintumouruk.org.uk  or call 01494 723561.

Alanah Bailey from the SESIAHS northern area in NSW (Australia) advises that her group will again be taking part in the Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours, this time wearing a mascot of a "walking brain" drawn by the daughter of one of the nurses. Alanah may be contacted here.

Sue Steinmetz, the study coordinator at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (USA), advises that their brain tumor awareness walk will be held on 10 October. Sue may be contacted here.

Stephanie Beckedorff advises that the 2nd Annual Barbara DiStase Memorial Walk will be held at the Community Park, Point Pleasant, New Jersey (USA), on 2 August. More information here.

Lori Silk of Dubois, Pennsylvania has been a steadfast supporter of the Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours for several years and has let us know that she will once again be organising a 5K walk around Dubois City Park and Walkway on September 13th, 2009.  Best of luck Lori!

The 4th annual Kortney's Challenge 2 mile FUN run/walk takes place in Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport, NJ on August 30th. This event was begun after the death of 9 Year old Kortney Gillette who died of a brain stem glioma in 2006. The Kortney Rose Foundation raises awareness and money for pediatric brain tumor research. The mileage from Kortney's Challenge will be donated to the 2009 Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours. The walk/run is a flat course made for any level of participant. For more information please visit www.thekortneyrosefoundation.org

Last year's walk.

Pete McLaughlin advises that the Dianne Moore Memorial Walk 2009 on the Gold Coast (Australia), will take place on 19 July. Pete may be contacted at 0422 784 885. Dianne was a co-founder of the original Gold Coast Brain Tumour Support Group.

The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (UK) advises that they are promoting a special week of dedicated walking for the Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours.  Their supporters are encouraged to "organise a sponsored walk in your area, any distance, anywhere, to raise awareness about brain tumours and donate mileage covered to the World Walk target of circling the earth five times at the Equator (125,000 miles or 200,000 kilometres)." For further information about SDBTT's walk effort and activities, see http://www.braintumourtrust.co.uk/WalkAroundTheWorldforBrainTumours.htm or contact enquiries@sdbtt.co.uk

Cindy Villarreal reports from Texas: "we will be having the 4th Annual Brain Tumor Walk in the Dallas Fort Worth, TX area on Saturday, November 7th.   Last year we had over 1000 people and raised over $220,000 for brain tumor research. The WALK is sponsored by the National Brain Tumor Society out of Boston, Massachusettes/San Francisco, CA.   www.braintumor.org I will be a volunteer again for the 3rd year. We also held the 2nd Annual Nick Gonzales Charity Golf Tournament this past May and grossed $28,000 from our golfers, silent/live auction and sponsorships. We were able to fund another $25,000 research grant through the National Brain Tumor Society in June and hope to double that next year! www.nickgonzalesfoundation.org (very basic site up there now during the building of a new website). Nick was my 29 year old son who I lost to a GBM Dec 2006."

Dr Laurie Dangler of "ROC on!" ("Run Over Cancer") has let us know that she and her team-mates are raring to go for the 2009 Columbus (Ohio, USA) Marathon on October 18th in which they will have some walkers doing a 5K.  Laurie has pledged the walking mileage achieved from this event to the Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours.  Laurie, who is an anaplastic astrocytoma survivor, and her friends and colleagues did a great job of supporting the IBTA's activities last year and we wish them every success for the Columbus event in the autumn.  For further information about "ROC on" please see their website at http://www.roconnow.com/

Dr Ioannis Roussos Prindesis from Barcelona advises that his hospital (Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Deu Esplugues de Llobregat- Barcelona) will have a brain tumour information stand on Thursday 5th November during the Awareness Week.

Things are happening in Scotland. Shanne McNamara advises that the Edinburgh Support Group is also planing another walk in 2009.

Eric Galvez advises that mASS Kickers will organise an activity during the Awareness Week. For an explanation of the unusual name of the group go to their website here.

During the IBTA's International Brain Tumour Awareness Week the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (UK) in association with Brainwaves (Northern Ireland) will be holding a Brain Tumour Information Day in Leicester. The Information Day runs from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm and will cover a variety of topics of interest to brain tumour patients such as living with epilepsy, complementary therapies, neurosurgery and radiotherapy, strategies for coping with memory loss and personality changes, etc. For further information, email enquiries@sdbtt.co.uk or contact Sarah Smith on 0845 130 9733.