Walkers head out from Whale Cove for cancer fundraiser

The Women in Action - Steps of Hope crew set off from Whale Cove Thursday morning on their walk to Rankin Inlet to raise money for Alberta's Cross Cancer Institute.

The group of women previously walked from Bay Chimo to Cambridge Bay in 2012, and surpassed their $80,000 goal by raising $92,000.

This year's goal is again $80,000.

"We gathered with the community [in Whale Cove] and they gave us an amazing send-off," said Jesse Mike, one of the team members.

"They formed lines and we walked past them and they cheered us on and everybody cried a little bit. We all got pretty emotional."

Mike said some young people from the community also walked with the group.

The crew reached Pork Peninsula, about 30 kilometres outside Whale Cove, and overnighted there. They were expecting to start walking again Friday morning around 9 a.m.