BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The 10th annual Valley Fever Walk is coming to Bakersfield next Saturday, March 7th, bringing together survivors, families, and community members to raise awareness about a disease that affects thousands of people in the region every year.
The event will be held for the first time at the Park at River Walk. Danielle Colbert, marketing director at Kern Medical, said ticket sales are already ahead of where they were at this point last year.
"We're already ahead of where we were this time last year, which is great, but we think that that's just, you know, that speaks to the awareness that we're bringing to the community," Colbert said.
This year's walk also coincides with a major development for Kern Medical's Valley Fever Institute, which has relocated to a new, state-of-the-art facility on Stockdale Highway, directly across from Cal State Bakersfield.
"The facility is state-of-the-art. It's beautiful. So if you do need to go and you think you have valley fever, that's a great place to start," Colbert said.
Colbert said valley fever can be easy to overlook because its symptoms closely resemble those of a common cold.
"So many people have valley fever and don't even know it because symptoms can be so similar to a cold, so it's really when those symptoms are sticking around that you need to ask your doctor for a valley fever test, but so many times it can go unnoticed," Colbert said.
Valley Fever Institute experts will be on-site at the walk to answer questions and provide education. Colbert said the event is designed to be welcoming for the whole community.
"If you're looking for education and awareness, it's the place for you. If you're just looking for a place to go get some free face painting," Colbert said.
The walk itself is described as a symbolic lap, not a strenuous race. It is stroller-friendly and wheelchair accessible. Survivors who attend will receive a special gift. The event will also feature free face painting, photo booths, more than 40 vendors, and raffle prizes that include Stagecoach tickets.
"Sometimes parents are like, I need to get my kids out of the house, and what can I do today? And free face painting. I mean, tickets are as low as $5, so you still need to do that to get in, um, but we got free face painting, we got photo booths. We have over 40 vendors coming out that you can come and shop from, so it's gonna be a lot of fun," Colbert said.
Advanced registration is encouraged for early bird pricing, but walk-up registration on the day of the event is also available. Go here to get your tickets.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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