For Pause 4 Parkinson’s this year, Debbie Clark and her husband decided to host a curry night with over 120 attendees. The night was a huge success with lots of support from the community of Mackay.
What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s?
Our drive to find a cure began when my husband Roger was diagnosed with Parkinson’s (fondly called Parky)in 2017. Our lives changed that day, and with a feeling of confusion, fear and most of all how our lives would be impacted by this disease we embarked on our journey.
Many people see Parky as someone with the shakes….this is only the tip of the iceberg! Roger faces much more than a tremor in his left hand ( he is left-handed)on a daily basis including issues with balance, fine motor skills, painful tendons, memory, mobility, poor sleeping patterns and the ability to complete simple tasks.
Why Shake It Up Australia
We responded to the call for support to raise funds through Shake it Up Australia because they communicate current trends and research, personal stories of determination and tenacity. They publish up to date papers on the misconceptions about Parkinson’s Disease and raise awareness across the community.
An important focus is that all funds raised go directly to research, no administration fees are taken from funds raised.
Tell us what you did to Shake Things Up?
What started out as a simple barbecue with family and close friends ended up being a “Clark Curry Night” with 120 adults and children attending. Roger grew up in Fiji so has a reputation for cooking an awesome curry! The night was held in our back yard with marques filled with colourful lighting and our family, friends and our local community of Mackay.
The night was supported in so many ways including gifts for raffles, too many to mention, donations of tables and chairs, slices for coffee and so much more.
A band of helpers helped cook the 38 curries and set up for the night. There was a range of curries and Sambals topped off with lots of fun and laughter.
Greatest Reward?
Apart from being totally overwhelmed by the generosity of the Mackay community, we have also started the conversation with not only family and friends but with the wider community. There were 4 men who attended our fundraiser who also have Parkinson’s so it was wonderful for them to see the support that is present here in our local area.
Best advice for people looking to Shake It
My advice is to gather your family and friends on the journey! Their support and energy will carry you when things get tough. We could not have held such a successful fundraiser raising $4,497:00 without their efforts and energy. Our community was only too happy to provide a wealth of prizes and donations towards this worthy cause. For those family and friends who were unable to attend they were able to donate further funds via the web site.
