This Friday afternoon when most of us have finished work for the day and are perhaps feeling a bit drained from challenges possibly presented, Kerry Dunstan would have almost completed a 100km walk and that on his seventieth birthday!
Kerry’s milestone birthday was part of the inspiration for his ‘Seventy for 70 Thousand WALK’ fundraising initiative for the Can Assist Forbes branch, of which Kerry was the president for about 13 years and the Forbes Breast Cancer Support Group.
“Many of the Breast Cancer Support Group ladies were very good to my late wife Wendy, when she was sick. Sadly some of those same ladies are going through the same thing now,” said Kerry.
It all started when Kerry’s blood sugar levels were a bit high and he started walking to lower it. “While I was walking around in circles, I thought I should be raising money while I’m doing this. Then I thought about the walk and my seventieth birthday coming up,” explained Kerry.
Kerry has eight other people walking beside him, each one with their own heart rendering story to share and one walker which he is particularly proud of, his son Michael. Ranging between mid 30’s to 72 years of age, the group started their journey from Condobolin on Thursday evening at 10pm and walked throughout the night and the whole of today. Their aim is to reach Forbes at 6pm just in time to get their breath back and celebrate Kerry’s 70th birthday.
Walking beside Kerry and Michael from Condobolin to Forbes is Ray Sanderson, Anita Morrison, Jimmy Carpenter, Mick Spry, Tracy Reid, Cameron Greenhalgh and Janet Norton-Knight.
Kerry’s walk has been meticulously planned to take him on a trip down memory lane. They started in Condobolin where Kerry was born. Thereafter, it was Moonbi, where Kerry played a lot of cricket and tennis. Then Warroo, where he went to school and had a family farm. Next up Jemalong, where Wendy went to school and also had a family farm. Lastly it will be Forbes, where the couple eventually settled and their children finished school.
“I’m re-living my life from birth to seventy in this walk. That’s what it’s all about and also the $70,000 that I hope to raise by doing it.” A celebration event will await Kerry and the walkers upon their return at Victoria Park, where there will be a few speeches and the ‘Pink Pig’. The ‘Pink Pig’ was made out of scrap metal as a money box for people wanting to donate to the cause. Then they will be heading over the road to the Vanden berg Hotel, where the celebrations will continue.
The entire community is invited to welcome Kerry and the walkers back at Victoria Park and to be part of the birthday celebrations. To help make Kerry’s 70th birthday more memorable, you can make a donation. For further information contact Kerry on 0428 116 586, Murray Field 0409 892 725, John Schrader 0404 155 247 or Lee Marsh 0414 682 754.
By Gizell van Wyk