Trekkers make the long haul for Alzheimers WA
WHEN it comes to giving to charity, you shouldn’t talk the talk unless you can walk the walk.
For Freo local Betina Crookes and her partner Mic, these are words to live by – quite literally.
The pair hope to raise up to $90,000 for Alzheimers WA through a series of organised paid walking trips.
Betina and Mic’s company company Off The Grid 365 run guided hiking tours around WA beauty spots.
But the hard border has forced many of their eastern state clientele to cancel their trips.
Faced with an empty calendar, the couple decided to turn a disaster into an opportunity.
“Our usual program was not an option. “We had to pivot to something else,” Mic said.
“And with all of the emphasis on community, and banding together, we thought ‘how can we, as a company, give back?’
“That’s when we approached Alzheimers WA.”
They decided to run 12 events over the course of September, World Dementia Awareness month.
The hikes on offer include a 44km Swan river loop, a section of the Bibbulman track, and the Cape to Cape.
The less athletically ambitious can take part in a King’s Park scavenger hunt, or the 10km Herdsman lake loop.
For some events, participants must fundraise a certain amount before they can take part.
For others, a portion of the ticket price will be donated to the charity.
The cause is close to Betina’s heart.
“I lost my Nan to Alzheimers in 2018,” she said.
“It was really hard watching her dementia progress.
“And so many people have gone through the same thing.”
More than 41,630 Western Australians suffer from dementia, a figure that is projected to rise to 150,000 by 2060.
Alzheimer’s WA offer support to dementia sufferers and their loved ones.
They are in need of donations, after their biggest fundraiser of the year – the annual ‘memory walk’ – was cancelled due to social distancing concerns.
Susanna Gaunt, the charity’s events and engagement officer, thanked Off The Grid 365 and encouraged people to sign up.
“We applaud the efforts of Betina
and Mic and urge you to support their endeavours by making a donation to this worthy cause,” she said.
Would-be walkers can sign up at https://www.otg-365.com/alzheimers
by LOTTIE ELTON