Geelong reloads A Walk In The Park

FAMILIES, friends, health professionals and community members will come together on the first day of May to raise awareness and gather support for people living with Parkinson’s Disease.

57,000 Victorians are currently living with Parkinson’s which makes this year’s A Walk In The Park Geelong event as important as ever.

“Here in Geelong, it seems everyone you speak to actually knows someone living with Parkinson’s,” walk organiser Kirsten George said.

The event will raise funds to support Fight Parkinson’s (formerly known as Parkinson’s Victoria), which provides a range of services to individuals, carers, families, and the community to improve quality of life within the Parkinson’s community.

“After dementia, Parkinson’s is the second-most common neurological disease diagnosed here in Australia which is quite massive really,” Ms George said.

“Geelong has a really strong Parkinson’s community with three different pier-support groups fighting Parkinson’s right here in the region.

“The team and I are really excited for the event and even though there is a lot of work still to be done in keeping the event COVIDSafe, we are looking forward to the first in-person walk in more than two years.”

Walking is will begin at 10.30am with staggered starts for groups of walkers attending the event.

The walk will begin and end at Eastern Park with entertainment and local business stalls creating an inclusive atmosphere on the day.

Victorian Labor Member for Lara, The Hon. John Eren, who lives with Parkinson’s, has happily agreed to be the 2022 A Walk in the Park Geelong Ambassador to help raise awareness of the disease, according to Ms George.

Homestyle Aged Care has also signed on as a major supporter again in 2022 having three facilities in Geelong providing aged care to their own clients living with Parkinson’s.

“We don’t care who joins us on the day or where you’re from, the more the merrier,” Ms George said.

“The Melbourne version of the walk attracts around 4,000 people each year, whereas Geelong has had 500 and 750 people attend in the past since the event first started in 2018.

“500 is the aim for this year and we’re already at 250 registered walkers which is good.”

If you are interested in registering, donating or volunteering for A Walk in the Park Geelong in 2022, visit parkinsonswalkgeelong.com.au.