4K in honour of Emma Kate

THERE was not a serious athlete thigh stretch or hamstring warmup to be seen on St Pat’s oval on Friday night.

Instead over 200 people enthusiastically followed Erin Harris in a Zumba session to kick off the four-kilometre 4EK Foundation Walk around the grounds of the college.

Lucy Loader and Abby McGrath organised the inaugural 4EK Walk to raise awareness of meningococcal disease.

Ms McGrath’s 19-year-old daughter Emma Kate contracted and succumbed to the disease in 2017.

She said she didn’t know anything about meningococcal until Emma became sick.

“It’s not just about walking to raise awareness, more importantly it is telling the community about vaccinating against the disease,” Ms McGrath said. “There are four strains of the disease and two vaccinations will inoculate a person against all four.”

Vaccination for meningococcal A, C, W and Y strains is available for children aged 12 months and teenagers as part of government immunisation programs.

Ms McGrath said the disease is not always fatal.

“Our Foundation recently helped a family in Perth with a donation of $15,000,” she said. “Their child contracted the disease when she was seven months old and as a consequence has acquired brain damage.

“Memories and photos of Emma mean the world to me now and we want to help other families lead the best life they can under the circumstances.”