On a warm, sunny afternoon Fort George Park is filled with the sound of children playing, laughter, music and the twitter of birds -sounds some children will never hear.
The Northern B.C. Children and Families Hearing Society held its Silent Walk and Family Fun Day on Sunday at the park to raise funds and awareness about hearing issues. Society program coordinator Tana Woodward said the annual event is the society's largest fundraiser of the year.
"We host an annual adventure camp at Ness Lake for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. It's something people put on their calendars and look forward to," Woodward said. "In June we're holding a one-day sports camp with PacificSport for deaf and hard-of-hearing children."
The society also holds sign language classes for children and adults, and offers a resource library for parents, she said.
Although provincial grants can fund some of those services, local fundraising is important, she said.
"All of these events are really good for the children," Woodward said. "We had a child go home to Quesnel and tell his parents, 'There is other kids like me.' It shows them they aren't the only ones. And it's good for parents to network and share their common challenges."
Approximately two dozen walkers raised over $1,000 in pledges and took part in the walk on Sunday.
