The Digestive Disease Center of the Hudson Valley is sponsoring the third annual Mid-Hudson Walk for Celiac Disease May 10 at Walkway over the Hudson. “The walk raised more than $10,000 for celiac research and support in 2013, and we expect it to double in size this year,” says Dr. Ravi Hotchandani, a board-certified gastroenterologist with Digestive Disease Center. “This is one of the only events of its kind in the US to draw attention to celiac disease.”

The walk will kick off on the Highland side of the bridge with registration at 9 a.m. and a 10 a.m. start. The cost is $20 to preregister, or $25 to register the day of the event. The walk will be followed by a Gluten-Free Fair with music, information and gluten-free food, including a special gluten-free baking demo by the Culinary Institute of America and gluten-free beer. Attendees are asked to bring a gluten-free food item to donate to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.

More than 2 million Americans suffer from celiac disease, a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients in food.  People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye and barley. Event proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, the Celiac Disease Foundation (Mid-Hudson Valley Chapter) and the ongoing research programs of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

To register for the Walk for Celiac Disease or to make a donation, visit DigestiveDiseaseNY.com.