Walk in Park for Parkinson’s at St Loman's this Saturday
Mullingar is one of 20 locations across Ireland set to host ‘A Walk in the Park for Parkinson’s’, this Saturday, April 11. The Mullingar event is at St Loman’s GAA Club at 11am.
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and for this year, Parkinson’s Ireland is running a ‘Meds on Time, Every Time’ campaign, highlighting the role medication timing plays in managing the condition.
An estimated 18,000 people in Ireland are living with Parkinson’s, and there’s a sizeable group in Mullingar: a recent speech and language therapy course run by the HSE attracted around 30 participants.
Nigel Hogan, who is one of those involved in a WhatsApp group that goes by the title ‘Shakers and Movers’ for people in this area who have received a Parkinson’s diagnosis, says there are several activities held weekly for people with Parkinson’s.
They include a boxercise class hosted each Monday at 9.30am by Ken Fitzpatrick at Kerrigan’s pub. “You can just turn up to that, or contact Ken in advance,” says Nigel of the class, which has been running for about three years, and which has about 10 regular attendees.
The organisation Move4Parkinson’s has a choir for people with Parkinson’s and their families and friends, and it meets each Monday at Áras an Mhuilinn. It has also been holding exercise classes in Mullingar.
Walk in the Park
A Walk in the Park for Parkinson’s is a fundraising event for Parkinson’s Ireland, which supports essential services for people living with Parkinson’s and their families. This year, the event is sponsored by Ireland’s leading home care provider, Dovida.
Speaking on behalf of Parkinson’s Ireland and the services provided by the charity, CEO Shane O’Brien said: “Key campaigns and fundraising events for Parkinson’s Ireland allow us to continuously support those living with Parkinson’s Disease, their families and care partners, and improve the services we provide.
“It’s important that we work together to raise awareness of the condition, as well as vital funds. We encourage people of all ages to join us this April for Parkinson’s Awareness Month and show their support.”
Supporting this message, speaking about Dovida’s partnership with Parkinson’s Ireland, Lorraine McLaughlin, Dovida Ireland Parkinson’s ambassador, said: “We are delighted to once again sponsor this important event to raise awareness and vital funds for people with Parkinson’s all over Ireland.
"We are equally proud to endorse this new campaign. As an organisation that supports people with Parkinson’s, we know medication timing matters. Our caregiver training and scheduling reflect this to ensure our clients are supported to get their medication on time, every time.”
On this year’s campaign ‘Meds on Time, Every Time’, the charity is encouraging healthcare providers, caregivers and people living with Parkinson’s to learn more about the campaign and access resources at parkinsons.ie/meds-on-time.
Register
Parkinson’s Ireland also encourages the public to show their support and register online for A Walk in the Park for Parkinson’s via walkinthepark.ie.