The annual walk held on Saturday, September 7 was a rainy, windy and cold day to start with but the walkers in Goderich braved the weather.
When it was time to walk, the rain stopped, and their efforts to raise funds resulted in over $18,000 donated to Parkinson’s Society of Southwest Ontario (PSSO).
It was a great turnout, with around 75-80 walkers, and their efforts made it one of our best walks ever in Goderich.
Families walked for someone who has Parkinson’s - there were brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandchildren, and many friends.
“It was a great day; it takes a village,” said Ron Corriveau, one of the participants and a volunteer with the Goderich Parkinson’s support group.
Corriveau’s wife June has Parkinson’s, and they have been involved in the walk since it began.
At the end organizers of the walk have made it tradition to acknowledge the top three people or groups as far as donations go.
In the team category the top three were: Wuerth Shoes Team Exeter and area (raised $4,369), The Ten Pas family from Brussels (raised $1,359), and Rose (raised $211), and “One Step at a Time” from Walton and area.
In the individual walker category, the top three were: June Corriveau (raised $1,699), Jeremy Geoffrey (raised $1,107), and Paul Gebhardt (raised $648).
“Each and every person that walked, whatever the reason or amount, thank you so much,” added Corriveau.
The money raised from the walk in Goderich will be used by PSSO to fund research, and to help fund the local support groups.
They put together conferences which will bring experts in the field to update the research being done to fight PD.
The local Parkinson’s group meets once a month, and according to Corriveau, it’s like a social event. Individuals with Parkinson’s can talk with other people who have it and create a sense of community. People can talk about their health and what works for them, what doesn’t, and have a sounding board from others. The group sometimes has guest speakers at meetings.
One of the groups that was mentioned as a top group from the Goderich Walk, “One Step at a Time”, were new to the Goderich Walk.
Corriveau explained that there were 25 in the group, walking for a good friend, Nicole Stevenson who was diagnosed a year ago with Parkinson’s at the age of 51. “It was devastating news. Three weeks prior to our walk her friends decided they would do something to show support for Nicole and her family,” explained Corriveau.
“Their group hug at the end showed how much they cared. We hope they will use PSSO and our support group to access a huge amount information about the disease research to find a cure.”
For more information on PSSO, visit: Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario (psso.ca)
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