A virtual Team Hope Walk, hosted by the Northern Plains Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, will be held Saturday, May 22.

The walk begins at 9 a.m. Participants are encouraged to choose their own course through a local park, hiking trail, driveway, neighborhood, in their house or on a treadmill.

People can sign up to help raise money and awareness through the walk by calling 218-779-2629 or sending an email to cassie.scheving@gmail.com.

All donations go to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, the premier nonprofit organization providing education and advocacy.

Huntington’s disease is a fatal, genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities, usually during their prime working years, and has no cure. The disease is characterized by a triad of symptoms, including progressive motor dysfunction, behavioral disturbance and cognitive decline.

Every child of a parent with Huntington’s has a 50% chance of inheriting the faulty gene. There are about 41,000 symptomatic Americans and 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. In less than 10% of cases, juvenile Huntington’s disease affects children and adolescents. It usually has a more rapid progression rate than adult onset disease.