Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A Call to Mind...walking to support Alzheimer's New Zealand



A Call to Mind  is a  week-long walk from Cape Reinga to Whangarei, New Zealand from September 6  to 12, 2014 
It's a walk of 260 km or 35-40 km per day, a marathon in more ways than one. You will even find some fine solo theatre at the end of it in Whangarei.
This Call to Mind is for the Alzheimer’s NZ and a memorial of many passed.

It is a tough walk but so is the disease. A Call to Mind  is a call to all of us, because who of us does not  fear that dementia may be in our future?  The walk is action and the short play “Tenacity –  A Message of Hope & a Day in the Life of a Caregiver and his Alzheimer’s Disease Patient” is reassurance.

I'll slow down a moment to tell you a little about Geoffrey Darling, the Walker and Actor/playwright.


Geoffrey, originally from New Zealand, has spent the last eight years with his American-born wife Rose in Ohio, USA, where he is a respected actor on stage and screen. In New Zealand he combined careers as an actor and journalist, acting at Tauranga’s Gateway, Wanganui’s Four Seasons and Wellington’s Downstage.  He wrote for several North Island papers in a 30-year career, including the Taranaki Herald, Rotorua Daily Post, Rotorua Review, Ruapehu Press and  Hawke’s Bay Herald Tribune and was a press secretary for Cabinet Minister Bob Tizard. He was editor of the Hawera Star before he left for the USA in 2006.



Geoffrey Darling turns 66 within a month of this walk ending  - nothing like the age of A H Reed who at 90 undertook a much longer walk – from Cape Reinga to Bluff.  But Reed took three weeks to reach Whangarei  - he will do it in one, and finish at the A H Reed Memorial in Whangarei  for a performance of Tenacity  - A Message of Hope etc.

Joining Geoffrey on the walk is his long-time friend Michael Regan of Whangarei. Others are expressing interest in joining them for a day or more.... 
How about YOU....

 
·         Come and  walk with me for a day? Or even two?  - We will do three days Cape Reinga to Kaitaia; two more to Kaikohe and two Whangarei.   A support vehicle with Rose Darling at the wheel,  and stays in handy motor camps in Houhora, Kaitaia and Kaikohe,  are planned.

 You may also help by sponsoring these hardy souls (soles) with a per km or per day or per walk donation. Or help with expenses by sending a gift card for petro, meals or lodging.
·   Sponsored kilometres funds will go toward to Alzheimer’s NZ.

For more details:
Email us at Acalltomind@yahoo.com
 
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