Three friends Alec, Sam & Gus had never considered themselves half marathon runners but having been closely affected by a family member with Parkinson’s they stepped out of their comfort zone, ran the Sydney Half Marathon and raised over $2000 for research.

What drives your commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s?

Between the three of us we have been affected by the disease closely, Alec’s grandfather has the disease currently, watching him struggle with day to day activities is enough for us to really take notice of how bad it can be, but also how unaware a lot of young people are, we think it’s definitely worth everyone’s time to take notice of it and what it can do to families and loved ones.

Why Shake It Up?

We tried to look for a foundation that we hadn’t personally noticed, a foundation that really helped the community to become more aware of the disease. Shake it up was brought to our attention through word of mouth.

What are we doing to Shake Things Up?

Being a part of the generation we are really trying to reach, we knew that we are a “visual generation” so we created a video that made light of the cause, in a tasteful way, we knew we weren’t marathon runners, let alone, half marathon runners! but we also knew if we had the right backing, support, and foundation, we would finish the race no matter what, and in doing so we raised just over $2000.

Greatest Reward?

Our greatest reward probably came from running over that finish line, faster than we had hoped, and knowing we had made a difference, no matter how big or small, with the money we raised.

Best Advice for people looking to Shake It Up?

Just give it a crack, you’ll be seriously surprised how many supportive people that are around you. We got donations from people we hadn’t spoken to in years. But most of all, have fun with it, raising money doesn’t have to be a chore.

To spread the word on their fundraising they put together this video and shared it with their friends, family and colleagues.