Geelong siblings raise more than $66,000 for Parkinson’s

GEELONG siblings James, Kate and Alice took on the Cairns Half Marathon last Sunday (July 14) to raise vital funds for Parkinson’s through the Shake it Up foundation.

The Urquhart trio followed in the footsteps of dad, Andrew Urquhart, after he was diagnosed with the disease almost 10 years ago.

Following his diagnosis, Andrew and his friends came together as the ‘Monkey Mia Boys,’ taking on adventures and raising more than $260,000 for Shake it Up.

This year Andrew passed the fundraising baton on to his three kids.

“He’s really been our inspiration, he’s turned his own negative into something so positive for so many others and what they’ve done already for Shake it Up is quite incredible,” Alice said.

“We had a window of no babies or broken bones and decided it was time to step up and do something a little off the beaten track and raise money for Shake it Up ourselves.”

With the siblings raising more than $66,000 for the foundation, they were the number one fundraising team at the 7 Cairns Marathon Festival.

“All the money that we raise goes towards actual research into finding treatments and ultimately a cure for Parkinson’s,” James said.

Through the process of training for the half marathon they have been able to spend more time together, something Alice said had been a great way for them to catch up.

“That’s absolutely been part of the journey, is just spending so much time together and it’s been special, we’ve all just had such a common purpose and dad loved it,” Alice said.

“We’re really close as a family as it is but I think something like this really brings you all together.”

Andrew and their mum Tinks made the journey with them to Cairns, cheering them across the finishing line.

“It was very emotional actually, they were on the sidelines cheering us on and it was just really great to cross the line and for them to be there,” Kate said.

To donate to the Urquhart family’s fundraising for Shake it Up, head to cmf24.grassrootz.com/shakeitup/monkey-mia-kids-run-cairns