Dozens of people turned out in the rain to take part in Parksville’s Parkinson’s Superwalk on Saturday.
But before heading out along the waterfront from Parksville Community Beach, participants watched a demonstration by members and volunteers of the local Rock Steady boxing group. The group teaches boxing exercises to people with Parkinson’s disease to help them literally fight back.
Family members of participants discussed how the group has helped their loved ones, pointing out the benefits they’ve seen from the exercises, the comraderie and the energy shared with them by volunteers of the program.
Doug Pickard, walk organizer and leader of the local Rock Steady affiliate, said he was impressed by the amount of money raised from the walk this year.
The goal had been to surpass last year’s total of $7,500, but he estimated donations grew to about $20,000, though the final count was not yet in as of the end of the walk.
“It’s really come a long way,” he said of the event. “It’s great.”