Today, we are featuring our hero Kate, who is running a huge 2020 kilometres throughout 2020 to raise funds for Shake It Up. Her idea has turned out to be perfect for the current Covid-19 conditions, as she can still go on her runs through the scenic Blue Mountains and ask for online donations from family and friends. She recently passed the 500km mark which is super exciting – congratulations Kate!
What drives your commitment to a cure for Parkinson’s?
I’ve seen that PD is such a challenging disease as it progresses – not just for those diagnosed but for their families too. It’s more than just an illness, because its effects are so complicated on more than just one person. Being a person of faith, I pray for the day when we have a world without disease. But as a Christian I’m also called to be a doer: “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Imagine what can happen if we all work together!
What are you doing to shake things up?
At the end of last year, I decided to set myself a goal of running 2020km in 2020. But then I thought who else could this goal benefit? So, I set up a fundraising page with a goal of $2020 for 2020 km for Shake It Up and just went for it. Because I didn’t tie myself to one event this has been a blessing. I can still put in the km while we are all social distancing – on the treadmill and on the trails of the Blue Mountains where I live. I like to share on Instagram how I’m progressing and recently passed the 500k mark. It is more difficult to ask for donations in the current situation, but people are continuing to be generous and we are working out other ways to raise money too. Because my food business is still running and we are doing deliveries, we can fundraise with certain products or, as we did on WPD – donate our delivery fees.
Why Shake It Up?
The thing that drew me to Shake It Up was that 100% of the funds go to research. After I watched Clyde’s video I was really impressed with his attitude and knew I’d found the organization I wanted to support. I also really like the collaboration with the Michael J Fox Foundation – we’re all in this together!
Greatest reward?
To keep running. I am humbled by the messages of support and personal stories as I clock up the km and the people who donate – some more than once – to keep me going. Particularly at present with COVID19 when people have so much on their plate already, they still think of me and my humble goal for PD. Last week I was feeling a bit low about it all as so many of us are at the moment. I shared that I had reached 500km without asking for donations… And people donated anyway! People are incredibly kind and generous.
What advice do you have for others looking to shake it up?
These times make it difficult for so many to fundraise like they normally would, and people can’t give as they normally would either. So, if your fundraiser isn’t going like you planned don’t forget raising awareness is just as important. I think the community is thinking about the different types of vulnerable people right now – and those with PD are one of them. The more people that know what Shake It Up is doing, the more people that will want to get involved when we’re out of isolation!
This April is our annual awareness campaign, Pause 4 Parkinson’s.
You can still get involved with fundraising for Shake It Up. Check out more information about fundraising, online and virtual events that comply with Covid-19 restrictions. We’re all in this together.
