Parkes gets behind Dusty’s epic walk for country kids

Dusty Langby has started a movement and he's touching hearts in every community he's walking through on an epic 540km journey to help bring paediatricians to regional and remote communities so families don't have to travel long distances for essential care. The 12-year-old from Warren walked through the Parkes Shire last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. He's raising awareness and vital funds for Little Wings, the children's charity that provides free flights for sick children and their families to take them to medical appointments in the city, calling his mission Dollar for Dusty. His aim is to raise $1 million - he's now up to $332,193 (at 2pm on 10 September). Dusty arriving into Alectown on Thursday morning. PHOTO: Facebook PHOTO: Facebook With his mum Sarah and the Dollar for Dusty support crew - mostly made up of family members and nurses from Warren - by his side, the team left Warren on 30 August bound for Canberra. Dusty has an official meeting with the Prime Minister at Parliament House at 9am on 15 September. Dusty knows firsthand the difference and positive effect timely healthcare can make on a community after his younger brother needed to access the services of Little Wings and later with the arrival of a specialist to his hometown. He believes country kids should have access to the specialist healthcare they need no matter where they live. "One of the challenges of living regional is that healthcare isn't just down the road - it's a day in the car, it's a night away, it's going to a community you don't know anyone, it's disconnection from your family," said Sarah, who's a child family health nurse herself. In regional NSW the wait to see a paediatrician can be 18 months, while in other areas it could be as long as six years. A woman giving Dusty a donation when he was in Alectown. PHOTO: Facebook Every step of the way Dusty has been greeted with immense generosity from people, handing him cash donations and $50 notes at a time, or anything he might need or use. Dusty reached the Parkes Shire on Wednesday, arriving to a rock-star welcome from Peak Hill residents who lined the main street and Newell Highway cheering and waving signs. He left Alectown at 7.30am the next morning, meeting supporters including Parkes mayor and Alectown resident Neil Westcott outside the Soldiers Memorial Hall before making his way to Parkes. Parkes East Public School students created posters to greet Dusty when he came to visit. PHOTO: Facebook While he was trekking the 19km to Parkes, students at Parkes East Public School and Parkes Christian School eagerly awaited his arrival. Parkes East held a school relay, in an attempt to walk the same number of kilometres as Dusty, they did it with some to spare. "We weren’t sure if we’d get there but in the final few minutes of the day our seniors smashed out a few extra laps to complete 570km," the school said. They were thrilled to be able to hand over $526 they collected from the event to Dusty and Little Wings. Parkes East held a school relay, in an attempt to walk the same number of kilometres as Dusty, raising $526 in the process. PHOTO: Facebook Dusty admitted it was a bit overwhelming for him seeing so many people gathering to greet him, carrying signs and cheering him on like they did in Parkes, his presence growing in popularity by every kilometre. But he also took comfort in it. "When I'm having a hard day I think of that," Dusty said. What a welcome Parkes Christian School gave Dusty when he stopped in to see the students on Thursday. PHOTO: Facebook Dusty also met with NSW Member for Orange Phil Donato and a number of Parkes businesses before him and his team enjoyed massages donated to them by C&S Stockfeed Supplies. He'd already been through four pairs of shoes by this point - he brought nine along with him. He headed to the Coachman Hotel for dinner on Thursday night where he sold raffle tickets and met more Parkes locals. His visit to Parkes wasn't complete without an appearance on the Today Show on Friday morning just before he left Lions Park for Eugowra, 40km away. Shirley Glasheen gave Dusty Langby $50 when she spotted him in Clarinda Street on Thursday. PHOTO: Christine Little When he arrived in the Parkes Shire his fundraising tally on his GiveNow fundraising page was sitting at $220,000, it jumped to $261,799 when he left. Andrew Bailey from Little Wings said the Central West is the charity's busiest area. "We do 300 missions here, we fly out six times a week," he said. "The way all our Central West communities are wrapping around Dusty is truly inspiring. "The demand is growing for the service." Today Dusty is mid-way between Boorowa and Yass. You can still support Dusty's mission by purchasing a ticket in the Dollar for Dusty raffle at https://www.raffletix.com.au/ and his fundraising page https://www.givenow.com.au/dollar-for-dusty.