You can still get involved!
Hope is a powerful thing. Hope can spark an idea, start a movement, make a difference, and – most importantly – it can change lives.
So, it is unsurprising that hope is the driving force behind two fundraisers taking place across the Central Coast and Newcastle this weekend.
The Walk 4 Hope and Golf Tournament and Family Fun Day will both raise much-needed funds and awareness for Huntingtons Disease – an incurable and debilitating genetic neurological condition.
The Walk 4 Hope is set to take place Saturday 14th September in Speers Point from 9am, and will see dozens of people walk through Lake Macquarie as a show of determination, hope, and support for those with the disease.
The Golf and Family Fun Day will take place just 24 hours later on Sunday 25th September with a golf tournament at Gosford Golf Club followed by a family fun day and fundraiser at The Settlers Tavern in West Gosford!
Huntingtons Disease (often abbreviated to HD) is caused by an altered gene passed from parent to child that causes the death of cells in certain areas of the brain, resulting in movement, emotional and cognitive disorders.
Image: healthdirect.gov.au
A person with Huntingtons can experience uncontrollable movements, abnormal balance when walking, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, thinking difficulties, and personality changes.
Symptoms of the disease are late-set, often appearing between the ages of 30 – 50, and will progressively worsen until the person will no longer be able to live independently and will require around-the-clock professional care.
There is currently no cure for Huntingtons Disease, nor any treatment to slow the diseases progression.
However, hope for a cure and a better life for those affected is still strong within the local community with hundreds set to get involved in the two events this weekend.
All money raised from the walk will go to the Huntingtons Disease Association (NSW) Inc. – the only organisation in NSW that provides support services and assistance to those suffering Huntingtons and their families.
If you’d like to get involved, registrations for the walk are still open and can be made online here. Registration is $35 per adult, $15 per child, and $80 per family (2x adults and 2x children).
Although the tournament on the Golf Day is now full, the organisers are encouraging people from all over the Central Coast to come for a wonderful family day out at The Settlers Tavern from 12.30pm. It’s set it be a great afternoon of with chocolate wheels, raffles, auctions and so much more!
If you’d like to find out more about Huntingtons Disease, click here.
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Written by Kate Stevens
Images: Facebook – Walk 4 Hope Speers Point
