When it comes to ‘money for jam’, Caroline Devenish-Meares is possibly the Perth expert – in a very good way.
The dedicated Parkinson’s WA volunteer has committed to making 2000 jars of her infamous chilli jam to raise funds for the not-for-profit organisation, which will be for sale at the organisation’s largest fundraiser of the year – A Walk In the Park at Perry Lakes on 15 September.
Mrs Devenish-Meares, has supported Parkinson’s WA for the past five years after her husband was diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition eight years ago, and has since trusted the organisation for ongoing support.
“I really wanted to give back to Parkinson’s WA and my chilli jam is popular, so I thought why not commit to making 2000 jars of it by Christmas,” she says.
“I’m certainly spending a lot of time in the kitchen, I make one bowl at a time, which equates to eight jars, so I’m being kept pretty busy, but I have a number of local delis that are also selling it, and I’ve had great support from the community. Once people try its sweet and hot flavour, they seem to love it.”
Mrs Devenish-Meares will have a jam stall at the A Walk in the Park fundraiser.
Hundreds of West Australians living with Parkinson’s, together with their family and friends, are expected to put their best foot forward and participate in the event to raise funds for the condition, which is increasing in prevalence as the WA population ages.
Parkinson’s WA CEO, Brenda Matthews, says Parkinson’s WA was looking forward to the support of the Perth community to ensure the 2019 walk was the biggest and best fundraising event to date.
“This really is a fantastic event that celebrates the resilience of the Parkinson’s community and helps raise funds for our community-based Parkinson’s nurse specialist service, and everyone is very welcome,” she said.
The family and dog-friendly event kicks off at Perry Lakes Reserve from 9.30am on 15 September, with the 2km and 5km walks starting at 11am.
There will be performances by Brazilian-style Wasamba drummers, as well as food trucks, refreshments, homemade produce and children’s entertainment.
To find out more about participating in the event, visit www.parkinsonswa.org.au
