Acton branch of Cancer Society plans Relay for Life event Do you enjoy spending time with your friends and having fun all the while supporting a good cause? If you do, come for a night of fun, friendship and fundraising at the first annual Relay for Life to be held at Rockmosa Community Centre in Rockwood. The event on Friday, Sept. 22 will be hosted by the East Wellington County branch of the Canadian Cancer Society and includes the Acton, Erin and Eramosa branches. Relay for Life is a 12-hour (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.), overnight, non-competitive event that involves teams of 10 people who take turns walking, running or strolling around a track. Teams consist of people representing corporations, communities, families and friends. The evening is kicked off with a Victory Lap, walked by cancer survivors and their caregivers. The ceremony honours not only survivors, but also those who have lost their battle to the disease. The evening continues with the Luminary Ceremony at 9:45 p.m., in which a candle is lit "In Honour" or "In Memory" of people who have had cancer touch their lives. For more information contact the local office at 1-519-824-4261 or go online at www.cancer.ca. Parkinson Society plans Georgetown SuperWalk Founded 16 years ago by seven Ontarians, SuperWalk has become Parkinson Society Canada's most significant annual fundraising event. With 78 local walks taking place thoughout Canada, including Georgetown, the walk not only raises the necessary funds for important research and support services, it also plays a fundamental role in increasing awareness of both Parkinson's Disease and finding the cure. The Georgetown walk will be held on Saturday, Sep. 9 at the Georgetown South Community Park. The route length is 2km walk or a 5km run. Registration begins at 10 a.m. with the run start at 10:50 a.m. followed by the walk start at 11 a.m. For more information on the Georgetown SuperWalk, call Lisa Buck, 905-877-4081. Parkinson's Disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease. The cause for Parkinson's Disease has not yet been identified and there is no cure. The most common symptoms of Parkinson's are tremor, slowness of movement, muscle stiffness and impaired balance. Other symptoms include fatigue, difficulties with speech and writing, sleep disorders, depression and cognitive impairments. It has been estimated that nearly 100,000 Canadians currently live with Parkinson's Disease. Experts predict that this number will double by 2016 due to an aging "baby boomer" population. Parkinson's Disease is not a normal part of aging. Although the average age of diagnosis is 60 years, 20 per cent are diagnosed before the age of 50. Present-day research is focused on finding more effective treatments for Parkinson's disease and on determining its underlying causes. Having a baby? Is there a baby in your future? Halton Region Health Department Healthiest Babies Possible prenatal program is accepting registration for its six-week program, 7-9 p.m. at Ontario Early Years Centre-Georgetown, 96 Guelph St. To register: 1-866-442-5866. Youth centre gets grand The Off the Wall youth centre in Acton received $1,000 to offset operating costs thanks to a grant from the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Substance Abuse Grant. The funding for the grant is obtained through the sale of the magazine Not For Adults, which is sold at A&P, Dominion and Food Basics stores across Ontario. On hand for the presentation were (from left) Georgetown A&P store manager Vito Mangiapani (local outlet for the magazine), Halton Regional Police Sgt Maureen Andrew and Halton Hills Community Support and Information executive director Joan Barham. Photo by Ted Brown