By Jessica Abbey
Reporter

Students, faculty and local residents are coming together to walk about it, not just talk about it, at an event raising awareness for eating disorders.

A walk for the National Eating Disorder Association will take place 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at Fountain Mall to raise money. Participants will walk around Fountain Mall at the come-and-go event. The money raised will go toward the online services and phone hotline provided by the association.

Kristin Abbott, graduate apprentice for Baylor’s counseling center, encourages any students walking by to check it out.

“Some of the top fundraisers are people who just have a connection with this,” Abbott said.

There will also be a fair on Fountain Mall with booths from Walmart and different treatment centers with live music. The event will be sponsored by the treatment centers, Walmart and the wellness and counseling centers at Baylor.

Gabriela Olaguibel, graduate apprentice for the wellness center, said it is almost a symbolic thing to be at the walk to help support those who are struggling with eating disorders.

The fees for the walk are $15 for students and $25 for all others. Registration is available online or at Fountain Mall on the day of the event. Along with the registration fees for the walk, there will be a silent auction sponsored by Walmart and Outdoor Waco.

“Really our hope is that we can get the word out to Baylor students so that if they want to contribute to something that’s personal to them they have the opportunity to do that,” Abbott said. “We may not realize how many people at Baylor are struggling with eating disorders and by participating in the event, it’s a good way to raise awareness.”

Abbott said many of the people registered for the walk are returning from last year and may have a personal connection to the topic.