After the success of the inaugural event last year, the Lions Club decided to move the event on Friday, September 27 from 5.30pm from the Yarrawonga Showgrounds to Chinamans Island.
Registrations will take place near the Yacht Club at 5pm with the event to take place at Frank Keenan Reserve on the corner of River Road and Witt Street.
This year there will be no entry fee, however all funds raised will go to Lions Hearing Dogs, one of Lions global causes.
Participants can walk as many laps as they want within their capabilities, though the distance walked will be as all Lions clubs are participating in the campaign, and this goes away to us reaching the distance milestone.
Yarrawonga Lions Club Secretary Deb Van Corler is urging groups of people, especially sporting clubs, to join the walk to raise awareness for the common disease of diabetes.
“We are urging groups of people to sign up and participate. They can even dress up if they want and make an occasion of it or if a team or club is involved, dress in your club colours,” Deb said.
“We encourage businesses to look after their staff and enter a staff team even just to find out more about the disease.
“Being a Friday afternoon on the public holiday, we know a lot of people may be going away or starting on football festivities, but we urge those still in town to come along and enjoy the afternoon sunshine with us while raising money and awareness for a great cause.”
Diabetes is becoming a health epidemic in Australia with over two million Australians currently diagnosed as pre-diabetic, more than 135,000 have type 1 Diabetes and 1.4 million Type 2 Diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.
As part of the ‘Lap the Island,’ several health professionals from local specialities will also be in attendance, and Dieticians will also be on hand to provide advice and information on the best diet.
“Bring the whole family for an afternoon of exercise!” Deb said.
“There will be sweet and savoury diabetic friendly pancakes, snacks and fruit on offer as well as an insight to those who are unaware of what foods are not suitable for a diabetes patient as well as what is best to avoid to prevent the disease.
“Also, come and join us after the event at the Yarrawonga Yacht Club for Happy Hour and enjoy a beverage, diabetic-friendly nibbles and watch the sunset.”
Yarrawonga Health offers a Type 1 Peer Support Group (T1PS), which is a local group that catches up for coffee bi-monthly on the first Monday of the month to join with others suffering from diabetes. For those wanting information on T1PS you can call Janet Schweda on 0413 586 559.
For those people who can’t attend the walk but would still like to donate to the cause or for more information on the walk, contact Yarrawonga Lions’ Ollie Tufvesson on 0477 143 336.
Event the first for the Summer Series
The ‘Lap the Island’ Lions walk for Diabetes Awareness will be the first event in a unique series held each month for the next six months.
Coordinated by Tim Roadley and assisted by Bunnings, the series will aim to hold an event on the last Friday of each month to promote and encourage increased physical activity among the community, improve social connectedness and raise awareness of health issues.
“The Lions Club of Yarrawonga have been a great support as the first community group to join up to the Summer Series this Friday, on the grand final eve Public Holiday,” Tim said.
“This is the perfect date to launch the series, and it is the weekend that gets the second most people involved in the local parkrun, so people are out and about being active.”
Tim said there are already events planned in the coming months as part of the Summer Series.
“We will have a mental health theme with the Blue Tree Project and other local mental health groups involved. I am hoping to get Dolly’s Dream on board, as well. People from work have been keen to do something for this support group that fits into the mental health theme.
The Summer Series
September 27 - Lions Club of Yarrawonga supported by Yarrawonga Health - Diabetes Lap the Island
October 25 - Yarrawonga Mulwala Amateur Canoe Club supported by Bunnings and Dulux Paint. Mental Health Project painting a tree blue on Chinaman’s Island.
November 29 - Stride4Stroke Challenge. 1 km circuit at Victoria Park
December 17 onwards - Heart Foundation and HeartKids - SiSU Health Station in the Bunnings Yarrawonga Store.
