Geelong walks for Parkinson’s disease

HUNDREDS of Geelong residents showed their determination to shine a light on Parkinson’s disease, gathering at Eastern Park Sunday morning for A Walk in the Park Geelong.

Fight Parkinson’s chief executive officer Emma Collin was in attendance over the weekend to thank the more than 300 people who attended the event, revealing more than $9,000 had been raised prior to the walk, in Geelong alone.

“Without the support of the community, we wouldn’t be able to conduct a range of services that Fight Parkinson’s is able to offer to the wider community,” Ms Collin said.

“All the funds that were raised prior to the start of the day, were raised by those who undertook the walk, and that number will continue to rise.”

2023 marked the first year that Fight Parkinson’s, the state’s leading service provider for Parkinson’s disease, had co-ordinated proceedings in Geelong, after former organiser and the women who started the walk in 2018, Kirsten George, stepped away from the role.

“None of this event would be able to go ahead without our dedicated volunteers and Kirsten’s leadership has been nothing short of amazing,” Ms Collin said.

“She continues to be an amazing supporter of A Walk in the Park, and other members of the community have stepped up and said we want to see this continue. We’re willing as an organisation to do anything to make that happen.

“It’s an important event to the fabric of Geelong, it’s also the largest regional event in the fight against Parkinson’s across the entire country.”

To donate to Fight Parkinson’s, head to fight-parkinsons.giveeasy.org/fight-parkinsons