Warragul's Sam Dennis will be running 150km this Saturday in an effort to raise money and awareness for juvenile arthritis.
Beginning at The Tan in Melbourne, Sam will run a few laps of the park before making the trek to Warragul, where he will finish up at the home of his old football club Warragul in Western Park.
The run is all for his teenage sister Stella, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 15 and has been navigating the challenges of the disease.
He said there was a lack of understanding around the realties of juvenile arthritis, particularly given the perceptions around arthritis only affecting older people.For Stella the diagnosis has made life isolating at times and she hopes that by Sam bringing more awareness to the issue that people may think about being kinder to those around them.
A host of activities and attractions will be on offer at Western Park for Sam's grand finish from 6pm-9pm, where he hopes people will come down to join in for a few laps.
A raffle, memorabilia auction, bar, live music and sausage sizzle will all be available during the run's final stages.
Richmond Football Club small forward and former Warragul player Jasper Alger will be in attendance and a Richmond guernsey signed by him will be available as a prize.
Sam has so far raised more than $14,000, well over his initial $10,000 goal.
For more information on how to donate head to www.dennismedia.com.au/run-for-stella
Time to get serious about wandering pets
A councillor believes tough decisions are required to stop cats destroying native wildlife. Cr Jess Hamilton said Baw Baw Shire had eight cat traps available for community use but, with 103 people currently on the wait list, the issue was “much...