OCEAN Grove will transform into a music lover\u2019s haven next month as the fifth annual Light of Day Australia Winter Gigs rolls into town.<\/p>\n
Across the June 22 and 23 weekend, 20 musicians and solo performers will grace stages across four venues to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s event raised $20,000 for the Shake it Up Foundation and the Light of Day Foundation (LODF) who work together globally to find a cure for Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Australia-wide 80,000 people are impacted by the progressive, degenerative neurological\u00a0condition that affects a person\u2019s control of their body movements; with 32 Australians diagnosed every day.<\/p>\n
Ocean Grove\u2019s Richard Grimmett and cofounder of Light of Day Australia (LODFA) was diagnosed in 2011 and said what began as a journey to the LODF\u2019s homeland in the United States accumulated into Grove\u2019s own music fundraiser.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlan Barber (LODFA co-founder) and I went to New Jersey (where the original fundraiser was held) to talk to the musicians and their managers about bringing it to Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a wonderful to be in New Jersey with the sights, sounds and boardwalk and in Bruce Springsteen territory – he\u2019s an unofficial patron of LODF.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey immediately agreed so this year will be the fifth time we\u2019ve ran it. It\u2019s gained a lot of traction, the first year was just one venue, the Chicken Shop and was a small gathering but the town\u2019s generosity was amazing.<\/p>\n
\u201cA wave of awareness comes over the town every winter now and brings a greater understanding about the disease, which is the second highest neurological disease affecting Australians after dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Grimmett said despite a family history, with his brother, father and uncle all living with Parkinson\u2019s, he never thought it would happen to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy sense of smell was the first thing that went; it happened so gradually that I didn\u2019t really notice. The second sign was my walking pattern, my wife was walking behind me, and she noticed my right\u00a0arm wasn\u2019t swinging but my left arm was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Grimmett said since his diagnosis he\u2019d continued to live a full life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI recently underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (a neurosurgical procedure where a neurostimulator is implanted into the brain and sends electrical impulses, to specific targets in the brain). It helped enormously, it\u2019s an incredible change in me where I\u2019ve virtually got my life back.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore when my medication was wearing off, which would be about every four hours, I couldn\u2019t keep still. I\u2019d be moving, writhing, twisting – you should see me cooking the evening meal, there were potato peels everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as they switched on the device, I just stopped moving; it was fantastic. And to go through that procedure which is fairly gruelling, you have to be conscious, it was all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
International stars and Celtic rockers Claymore will perform alongside Joe Creighton, Jimi Hocking, Kite Machine, 10 High Fly, Dreamboogie, Gallie and Sweet Felicia.<\/p>\n
Also appearing this year will be the Wayne Jury Four, the Big Bash Band, Liam Gerner, SoulEstate, Princess Planet, Zeffa, Jarrod Shaw, We the Radio, Saoirse and Hey Mammoth.<\/p>\n
For the first time the winner of the recent Shake the Mic contest, a junior battle of the bands\u00a0competition, will appear in the line-up.<\/p>\n
The Ocean Grove shows are on June 22 and June 23 with music playing simultaneously at the Piping Hot Chicken and Burger Grill, the Driftwood Caf\u00e9, Maggies Bar and the Olive Pit Delicatessen, all of which are on the Terrace, from 6pm.<\/p>\n
Tickets are available via trybooking.com, details at lightofdayaustralia.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
OCEAN Grove will transform into a music lover\u2019s haven next month as the fifth annual Light of Day Australia Winter Gigs rolls into town. Across the June 22 and 23 weekend, 20 musicians and solo performers will grace stages across four venues to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson\u2019s disease. Last year\u2019s event raised $20,000 […]<\/p>\n