By Emma Kelly
Arthritis might be considered an older person's disease but skeletons, witches and creatures of all ages brought a taste of Halloween to Lake Burley Griffin on Friday to raise awareness of bone and joint health.
More than 50 participants donned their best dress-ups for the inaugural Costume for a Cause five-kilometre walk around the main basin as part of Bone Health Awareness Day.
GOOD CAUSE: Ella O'Grady, 6, takes part in the launch of Bone/Joint Health Awareness Day.Credit: Jay Cronan
The fundraiser will support Arthritis ACT's services, outreach activities, self-management courses and water exercise programs.
President Anna Hackett said a halloween-themed walk was the perfect synergy of bones, exercise and arthritis and osteoporosis awareness.
"Staying active and healthy is the best way to keep your bones and joints healthy," she said.
"Exercise and movement are ways to reduce the impact of arthritis. It doesn't have to be as exhausting or as strenuous as running around the block; it can also be slow and gentle."
Project officer Felicity Thambyah said the family-friendly event enabled the organisation to target a more diverse crowd.
"It's not just an old person's disease," she said of arthritis.
"A lot of our members are a bit older. This event brings a new crowd and gets our name out there."
Six-year-old Ella O'Grady and her family know firsthand the non-discriminatory nature of arthritis.
Ella was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis earlier this year.
Mother Stef said the duo had become a bit of a novelty at water exercise sessions.
"We do lots of hydrotherapy which is a great program Arthritis ACT does," she said.
"The water is really gentle way to exercise and move the body."
The family descended on Rond Terrace in the hope of raising awareness of bone and joint health and meeting other families touched by arthritis.
"It's really important because there are a lot of people in society living with arthritis and arthritic conditions and osteoporosis," Ms O'Grady said.
"The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier you can take steps to improve the symptoms. Particularly for young people, we want to get a good outcome as early as we can and daily throughout their lives."