Superwalk

Everyone has a cause. For LOML and I, it has been heart disease and stroke. For several years, LOML and I, along with a couple of our children, cycled in the Ride for Heart fundraising event in Toronto. With the help of our friends and family, we raised thousands of dollars for heart and stroke education and community programs. This year, we decided to focus our fundraising efforts on local events. The Toronto Ride for Heart was complicated by the logistics of participating in an event in another city. And, so?

And so, we didn’t cycle in the Ride for Heart, although we made our usual donation. However, we did take part in the Picton Rotary Club’s Lilac Ride. And we will be taking part in the Picton Kiwanis Club Colour Cribbage Ride and the Friends of Sandbanks Fun Run in the fall. Our local service clubs offer active fundraisers and most of the money stays in the community for local programs.

And this September, I’ll be walking in the Parkinson’s SuperWalk being held in Belleville, Ontario. The Super- Walk is the largest national fundraising event for Parkinson Society Canada. Over 10,000 people from coast to coast organize and take part in the SuperWalk. This year marks the 25th anniversary of this nationwide event. Who doesn’t love an anniversary event? Last year, about 115 communities across Canada organized a Super- Walk event and raised approximately $2.9 million for support services, research and education programs. Since 1990, the Super- Walk has raised more than $30 million. The SuperWalk in Belleville is a 1.5 kilometre route that is accessible to almost everyone who wishes to participate. It takes place on September 12, in Zwick’s Park, with the registration beginning at 11 a.m.

So what is Parkinson’s Disease? Well, it is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that affects the pyramidal and the extrapyramidal system—the motor neuron system. It is, in essence, the death of the dopamine-generating cells in the region of the midbrain. It often starts with a barely perceptible tremor in one hand. As the disease progresses, movements become slower, the body becomes stiff, facial expressions may decrease and speech could become slurred or softer. As the disease makes its mark, balance might be affected. As well, those automatic movements like swinging your arms when you walk or smiling or blinking, may be affected. Later, behavioural problems may arise, including depression and dementia. In some cases, sensory symptoms like sleep and emotional problems can be added to the list. There isn’t a cure and the cause is elusive. It’s one of those bad things that can happen to anyone.

For those who have lost motor ability, I will be walking in the September SuperWalk. If I offer to buy him lunch, LOML will likely be walking with me. Sneaky me.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca