Virtual 1 Million
Steps 4 OCD Walk
Embracing uncertainty, one step at a time!
Saturday, October 10, 2020
This year, the 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk will be everywhere: from city downtown crossings to small towns and every sidewalk in between. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, instead of multiple in-person events across the country, the OCD Walk will be transformed into one unified, virtual event. Although the world may look a little different right now, we know one thing hasn’t changed: our commitment to supporting everyone affected by OCD and related disorders.
Registration opens soon — sign up below to receive emails and be alerted the minute it does!
Why We Walk
The 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk provides a supportive community, increases awareness, and raises funds for the IOCDF and its Local Affiliates, enabling them to continue their mission. Funds raised benefit the OCD and related disorders community by helping us to:
Support
Shorten the time to proper diagnosis, improve access to treatment, and increase the number of trained therapists.
Educate
Provide education about what OCD and related disorders actually are through our wesbites, ambassador program and anxiety in the classroom initiative.
Inspire
Engage the entire OCD and related disorders community to advocate and educate in order to reduce stigma!
Walk with us in your local community!
Your health and safety are our top priorities. Although this year’s event won’t be large in-person gatherings, we invite you to walk in small teams of friends and family while others in the OCD community do the same. Together, we will all walk and fundraise for the same thing: ensuring all those affected by OCD and related disorders have access to effective treatment and can live full and productive lives.
Sponsor the 2020 Virtual OCD Walk!
The International OCD Foundation is looking for sponsors to support the Virtual 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk. Benefits for being a sponsor include:
- Organization logo on the Walk website
- Organization logo on OCD Walk t-shirts (2,500+ distribution)
- Organization logo in email communication to walkers
- Recognition on social media, at the virtual OCD Walk event, and more!
To learn more about sponsoring the Virtual OCD Walk,
email Kristen Lynch, at klynch@iocdf.org.
Our Inspiration
In 2012, Denis Asselin walked over 500 miles — or roughly one million steps — from his home in Cheyney, PA, to Boston, MA, in memory of his son Nathaniel. Nathaniel took his own life at just 24, after a long struggle with severe body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and OCD. After Nathaniel’s death, Denis decided to embark on a pilgrimage to honor Nathaniel and to raise awareness about the disorder that stole his young son’s life. On June 5, 2012, Denis completed his walk in Boston, and was greeted by staff of the International OCD Foundation, as well as friends, family, and members of the OCD community at a rally honoring Denis and supporting OCD and BDD awareness. To carry on this tradition, the 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk was created the following year in the same spirit of raising awareness, funds, and hope. It is in this spirit of hope that we invite you to join us.
Embracing uncertainty, one step at a time!