By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A CROWD of over 100 people gathered at the finish line to celebrate the completion of Casey Mayor Amanda Stapleton’s two-week Walk for Disability.
The mayor was overwhelmed to see such a large crowd gathered to greet her at the gates of Blairlogie Living and Learning in Cranbourne South, her final destination.
The unwavering support Cr Stapledon received at Blairlogie was the same she had witnessed throughout the entire walk, which saw the mayor walk all over Casey.
“The overwhelming thing is the community response, it’s been amazing. It’s something I’d like to see carried on every year,” Cr Stapledon said.
“I think it should be a mayoral thing and certainly if the mayor’s unavailable then someone else.
“It needs to be citywide and if you can keep the issues that are facing people with a disability and their carers foremost in people’s minds we’re going to see the greatest change.”
CEO of Waverley Industries in Hallam Frank Cresia, who joined Amanda for every day of the walk, said the initiative had opened his eyes to the generosity of the Casey community.
“Waverley industries has only been in the city for four years so to understand what the community is about, to meet so many wonderful, committed and dedicated people and leaders has been fantastic,” he said.
“It’s been a privilege and it’s a great initiative by Amanda and it has alerted the community of what’s required in the future.”
Doveton Special Soccer School coach Juan (Carlos) Loyola has made it his life’s work to help those less privileged and was thrilled at what the Mayor’s walk had achieved.
“For us to go into the schools is the best because we addressed the young people and they are the future for all these people with disability,” he said.
“They are very happy to know more about disability. We went to one school in Cranbourne where students asked how they can be volunteers when they grow up.”
As far as highlights go, all of those people who joined the mayor when she arrived at Lynbrook Primary School in the first week of her walk were unanimously blown away by the song the 700-plus students had prepared for them. Mr Cresia said it was a moment he would never forget.
“To hear the whole venue sing the song and to see the entire audience sign language the song at the same time was incredible,” he said.”I had an apple in my throat and the tears you couldn’t hold back. It was just a memory that I’ll take to my grave.”
The mayor and her team of walkers have so far raised $685 for their 75-kilometre walk, but it was the community response which gave Cr Stapledon so much joy.
“I was overwhelmed by the response from the community and I am still getting called and emailed by people from the community who were so happy that the walk occurred,” Cr Stapledon said.
The mayor said on day five when the weather turned for the worst, she was completely humbled by how many people kept trekking through the rain and never gave up.
“We were all soaked to the core and there were still so many people that joined us,” she said.
“I just couldn’t believe it, I was blown away.”
Even though she has time to put her feet up now with the walk completed, Cr Stapledon doesn’t plan to do anything of the sort. She said it was vital to keep circulating the importance of disability awareness.
“I will be writing to everyone that we visited and I will be telling them just how successful this walk was, what the outcomes were and what we hope to do in the future to continue the focus on people with disability and their carers,” she said.
“I’m proud to be mayor of this great community because that is what they are like. They have gone above and beyond and I’ve always known they’ve been a community that really cares.”
Have a look back through the Mayor’s two week Walk for Disability by visiting her Star News blog: http://blog.starcommunity.com.au/mayors-walk-for-disability/
