By BRIDGET COOK
THE community is being urged to join Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon every step of the way on her walk for disability.
Cr Stapledon will set off on her 75km walk throughout the municipality on Monday and has encouraged the community to get behind her.
The walk, which will run until Friday 16 August, aims to raise awareness of the critical service gaps facing residents living with a disability, their carers and local disability support agencies.
Cr Stapledon has invited the whole community to join her.
“By generating community support for this important cause we can make a difference to the people in our community whose daily lives have been changed or are influenced by disability,” she said.
“Statistics have shown that in Casey alone, more than 20,000 people provide unpaid care or assistance to family members or others, which is a significant amount of our population.
“It’s up to us to come together and be united in showing our support for this huge number of people, living or working in our community.
“Any small gesture of encouragement or support will go a long way.”
People can choose to be involved in the Mayor’s Walk for Disability in a number of ways including joining her for part or the entire walk or meeting at one of the stopping points.
The community can also donate to one of six local disability support services, operating in the mayor’s key focus areas, which are Windermere, OzChild, Marillac, Outlook, Waverley Industries and Blairlogie.
For details on how to get involved, make a donation, or to view the itinerary and street maps visit www.casey.vic.gov.au/mayorswalkfordisability.
Follow Cr Stapledon’s progress at starcommunity.com.au.
Mayor’s Walk for Disability itinerary
Monday 5 August
9.30-10am: Walk launch at Churchill Park Golf Club
11-11.30am: Mossgiel Park Primary School
11.35am-12.05pm: South East Christian Centre
12.35-1.35pm: Endeavour Hills Community Centre
2-2.30pm: Endeavour Ministries Andrews Centre
3-3.30pm: Narre Warren North Primary School
3.50-4.20pm: Finish at Narre Warren North CFA
Tuesday 6 August
9.30-10am: Start at Wilson Botanic Park
10.15-10.45am: Berwick Neighbourhood Centre
11.45-12.15pm: Beaconhills College
12.45-1.30pm: Monash University Berwick Campus
2.45-3.15pm: Narre Community Learning Centre
3.30-4pm: Finish Narre Warren Library
Wednesday 7 August
9.30-10am: Start at Fountain Gate Primary School
10.10-10.40am: Dandenong Valley School
10.50-11.2am: Fountain Gate Secondary College
12.10-12.40pm: Hallam Park Animal Hospital
1-1.30pm: Myuna Farm
1.45-2.15pm: Doveton Neighbourhood Learning Centre
2.30-3pm: John Pandazopoulos Hall
3.05-3.30pm: Doveton Senior Citizens Centre
Thursday 8 August
9.30-10am: Start at Tooradin Fishermans Cottage Museum
10.20-10.50am: Tooradin Primary School
11-11.30am: Blind Bight Community Centre
Noon-12.30pm: Warneet-Blind Bight Fire Brigade
12.45-1.45pm: Moonlit Sanctuary
2-2.30pm: Pearcedale Primary School
2.50-3.30pm: Finish at Pearcedale Community Centre
Friday 9 August
9.30-10am: Start at Lynbrook Primary School
10.10-10.40am: St Frances De Sales Primary School
11.15-11.45am: Lyndhurst Primary School
Noon-1pm: Casey Radio
2.10-2.40pm: Wresacare
3.10-3.40pm: Finish at Merinda Park Learning Centre
Tuesday 13 August
9.30-10am: Start at Casey Fields
10.30-11am: Balla Balla Community Centre
11.20-11.50pm: Cranbourne Secondary College
12.30-1pm: Cranbourne East Primary School
1.50-2.20pm: Cranbourne Youth Information Centre and Centro Cranbourne
2.30-3.30pm: Finish at Alpha Autism (Oakgrove Community Centre)
Thursday 15 August
9.30-10am: Start at Hampton Park Library
10-10.30am: Hampton Park Community House
10.40-11.10am: Hampton Park Senior Citizens Centre
11.30am-noon: Hampton Park Shopping Centre
12.15-1.20pm: Uniting Place, Hampton Park Community Gardens
1.30-2pm: Hampton Park Secondary College
3 -3.35pm: Finish at Windermere Child and Family Services
Friday 16 August
9.45-10.15am: Start at Royal Botanic Gardens
11.15-11.45am: Cranbourne South Primary School
12.30pm: Blairlogie Living and Learning
1.30pm: Celebrate with a barbecue lunch and presentations at Blairlogie
