Saturday, October 10, 2009

Walking the Walks

The Walk with Fred for Parkinson's research at Ocean Beach Park (left) and the Memory Walk to fight Alzheimer's disease at a very rainy Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford (right)

Fall brings a wave of charity walks around the region and the country. With so many causes raising funds over so few weeks in the midst of a recession, it may be surprising that donor fatigue hasn't set in. While my involvement in several of these weekend events has been mostly due to my association with WBMW, I find a personal connection to many of these causes. There was my own diagnosis of type II diabetes last year, so that really brought me firsthand awareness. Mike Forte, a Cheshire resident who has Parkinson's and is chairman of the board of directors of the New Haven Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, was also my best friend in high school. I didn't get to see him at the New London walk, but I did get a chance to talk to him and hear that old familiar laugh. His kind of attitude always prevails. The Start! Heart Walk, coming up October 18th at Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic, has a special significance as well. My father died of heart disease at about the same age I am now. Rebecca and I will be walking again. We hope you can too.

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