Ariel Walker Co-Founder of the Huntington Society of Canada Receives Provincial Honour

KITCHENER - Ariel Walker from Cambridge, ON, co-founder of the Huntington Society of Canada was awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship last night at a Queen’s Park Ceremony by David Onley, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship is an official award of the Province and recognizes and encourages the virtues of good citizenship. Recipients must have made outstanding public contributions through exceptional long-term efforts. The award reflects their acts of selflessness, generosity and kindness, and exceptional contributions to community life. The award consists of a silver medal emblazoned with the provincial coat of arms on one side and the trillium on the other.

Ariel and her late husband Ralph started the Huntington Society of Canada from their home in Cambridge, Ontario in 1973. Their unselfish efforts, vision, and persistence have enabled the organization to grow to serving families across the province.

“Ariel Walker is a role model for the citizens of Ontario. She cares about people, she advocates on their behalf, and she acts with reason. Her leadership within the organization, both in the early years and still today, is respected and valued”, says Don Lamont, CEO & Executive Director of the Huntington Society of Canada.

The relentless work by Ariel Walker throughout the infancy of the organization has been instrumental in providing support to families and individuals. Countless families today depend on the work of the HSC to provide them with the necessary tools for dealing with the challenges of Huntington disease. The foundation that Ariel established with the Society has allowed families to have hope. This hope has carried families since the organization began. With hope, families can continue to hold their heads high and battle this devastating disease with support and dignity. Ariel has made personal contacts with thousands of families across the province, and they appreciate her sincere interest in their well being. Ariel acts upon suggestions, listens to the families, and has made efforts to ensure that the processes and structure are in place to best support families.

“Ariel is able to touch people, and respect people. She has ensured that individuals and families affected by Huntington disease are taken care of, and she has provided hope for the future”, continues Don.

Her efforts over the past 35 years have provided thousands of people in Ontario, Canada, and internationally, with the comfort that there are people working to ensure that their quality of life is optimum.

“I am very honoured to receive this award”, says Ariel Walker. “There was a need to help Huntington’s family and we just did it. That was our first introduction to volunteering. We never expected anything more than a thank you and a smile. We never expected money to change hands. It was just done and that’s all there was to it. It was reciprocal”, she explains.

The Huntington Society of Canada is a national network of volunteers and professionals, united in the fight against HD since 1973, who aspire to a world free from Huntington disease. The Society maximizes the quality of life of people living with HD by delivering services, enabling others to understand the disease and furthering research to slow and to prevent Huntington disease.