THOSE who have lost a loved one can honour their memory in the Compassionate Friends (TCF) Mandurah’s 10th annual Walk To Remember on March 8.
The walk is for anyone who has lost someone and helps to raise funds and community awareness of the charity organisation.
The grief support service offers free help for people of any age grieving the death of a child, grandchild, sibling or friend to any cause or a relative, spouse or friend to suicide.
Margot McAllister, a founding member of the Mandurah division of TCF, has been part of the organisation for 28 years and was a driving force behind the walk’s inception.
“Grief is a very isolating experience and knowing people who are going through the same thing is good,” Ms McAllister said. “The walk lets people know we are here and are here to help.”
Mrs McAllister, who lost her son to suicide and grandson to SIDS, said she had attended an information-gathering event in Vancouver, Canada and they finished the event with a walk.
“The idea really appealed to me, people were coming up and asking what the walk was for,” she said. “I thought it would be a great idea to hold our own walk.”
Tina Pearce, who has been part of TCF for 30 years, said they were apprehensive heading into the first walk in 2006.
“We weren’t sure what to expect but it went really well,” she said.
The walk has been an annual event each year since and has now been taken up by TCF across the country with walks held in Victoria and South Australia.
“It’s great feeling that we started something in Mandurah that has become a national event,” Mrs McAllister said.
“It you don’t have somewhere you can go to [when you lose someone] you can get lost.
“Our aim is to provide a meaningful memorial event and increase the community awareness.”
The walkers will meet at Dalrymple Park, Mandurah at 9.30am for a 10am start.
Led by a piper, the walkers will head along the foreshore to the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre before returning to Dalrymple Park for a sausage sizzle prepared by the Lions Club of Mandurah.
Walkers are given a ribbon they can write the loved one’s name they are walking for on and a heart on which they can a write a message and stick into the ground at the end of the walk.
Participants can be sponsored by friends, family and members of the public to participate in the event with all funds going back into the charity.
To register contact TCF on 9535 7761, email tcf mandurah@bigpond .com or go to tcfman durah.com for more information.
People can also attend on the day but registration is recommended.