A STROLL around Lake Weeroona was more than simply a walk in the park for many yesterday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dozens of people went to the popular recreation spot for a community event that aimed to raise funds for research into Parkinson’s and support for those living with the condition.
Participants made a gold coin donation to enter the walk, with funds raised going to Parkinson’s Victoria.
There was also a raffle, a sausage sizzle provided by Bendigo Lions Club and music by the Bendigo Highland Pipe Band.
The walk, which was in its second year in Bendigo, was held at the same time as the main A Walk in the Park event in Melbourne.
Bendigo Parkinson’s Support Group leader Val Lester said the group had about 40 members, but there were many more people in the area living with the condition.
More than 27,000 people in Victoria and about 80,000 people nationwide have Parkinson’s, a chronic and progressive neurological condition that affects movement.
Thirty people are diagnosed with the disease each day and the incidence is rising with the ageing population, but there is no known cure.
According to Parkinson’s Victoria, A Walk in the Park is a particularly poignant event because for those with Parkinson’s, walking becomes increasingly difficult due to a progressively worsening body tremor that affects their stability.
The symptoms relate to a decline in the production of the brain chemical dopamine, which affects people’s ability to control their movements and move freely.