The third annual fundraiser walk starts at 10am Sunday at Lions Park – taking the 5km walk around the Lake Forbes track.

If you haven’t already registered online, you can sign up for $25 on the day, be there about 9am to be part of the event.

All funds raised go to MND NSW, an organisation that provides information, support and education for people living with motor neurone disease, their families, friends and carers.

Forbes’ Pat Duncan and Marcia Simmonds organise the local event, which they launched in 2015 two years after Pat lost her husband Stuart to the disease.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) affects the nerves that control our movement, speaking, eating and breathing. 

Early symptoms of motor neurone disease are often mild according to MND NSW website. They may include stumbling, difficulty holding objects, slurring of speech or swallowing difficulties; or cramps and muscle twitching.

From diagnosis, people live an average 27 months. 

After losing Stuart, the Duncan family attended a Walk to D’Feet MND in Wagga, and met so many Forbes families there they decided to organise a local event.

The first event was so successful – raising more than $23,000 - it has become an annual effort for the two ladies.

“We don’t know what causes MND and there is no cure,” Pat said. “Stuart was so fit and healthy when he was diagnosed.”

The well-known Forbes businessman was 76 when he passed away and was grieved to know that MND also took the lives of young people.

“I got Stuart an iPad because he couldn’t speak,” Pat said. “It was on the iPad he started researching MND and saw that it was getting young people and that was when he pushed us to do something.”

This year they are raising funds with a raffle – the tickets will be on sale at Lions Park on the day.

First prize this year is $1000 cash, second $500 cash. The third is a beautiful quilt in MND colours of light and dark blue, made and donated by the quilting group at Nellie’s Country Flair. Tickets are $2 each.

You can bring your dog along to Sunday’s walk, but they must be on a lead and have an ID tag. 

The Lions will be there and running a barbecue for the event.