On Friday (October 24, 2008), the 8th annual "Hila B'Galil Walk for Health" was held in Karmiel and attended by some 500 walking area residents.
The walk was initiated by the Joint Karmiel-Misgav Women's Forum, sponsored by the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 program.

At the starting line in the city's "Family Park", participants enjoyed a variety of activities and events such as belly dancers, massages, the ancient Chinese art of Ti Chi and of course the park's standard facilities. All of the participants used the facilities to stretch and warm up before heading out on the walk.

The walk was composed of 3 routes, 1, 2.5 and 5 miles in length.  The routes departed from "Family Park" down the Boulevard where at the bottom of Nisiei Yisrael Avenue turned towards "Ophira Park". Areas for brief rest stops were scattered along the route.

Many of the participants decided to walk in honor of their family members who are either cancer survivors or those who passed away due to the illness and noted this on special placards that they carried with them.

Adi Eldar, Karmiel's mayor and chairman of the Union of Local Authorities, and Ron Shani, mayor of the Misgav Regional Council welcomed the participants and complemented the Women's Forum for all of their wonderful and fine efforts in making the walk such as success.

As always, the goal of the walk is to instill greater awareness as to the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

The "Hila B'Galil Walk for Health" is based upon the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure conducted in Pittsburgh and over 120 other cities in the USA and Europe. A number of years ago, members of the Karmiel-Misgav Women's Forum attended the walk in Pittsburgh that drew thousands of participants, upon their return home proposed and initiated a similar event in the region.

The local walk is a joint effort of the City of Karmiel, the Misgav Regional Council, the Israel Cancer Association, the Jewish Agency/Partnership 2000 as well as and primarily the dozens of volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year and in the days and weeks prior to the walk.