At Services, they’re really stepping out this September.

This involves three dozen Orange Ex-Services’ Club (OESC) staff and committee signing on for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s (CPA) signature annual fundraising “STEPtember” event that “runs” the whole of the month.

The annual challenge comprises sponsored individuals meeting targets for daily steps taken, helping fund the Alliance’s awareness, research, and support work for the hundreds of Australians born with the condition each year.

As an added boost to their inaugural involvement, OESC has also agreed to match donations made to staff, potentially running into the thousands of dollars, Chief Executive Officer Nathan Kelly explained.

He added that the initiative is part of the local institution’s broader support for community and charitable causes.

“It’s a good opportunity to bring our staff together around health, wellbeing, and giving back to the community,” Mr Kelly told Orange City Life.

“We’re proud to have so many staff getting involved and working towards a common goal,” he added.

In fact, the club became aware of the fundraising initiative via its support of the CPA’s local branch.

“The Cerebral Palsy Alliance does important work supporting people with cerebral palsy and their families,” Mr Kelly explained.

“We have a strong relationship with our local CPA through our ClubGRANTS support, so it’s a natural extension of that relationship.”

The club, he said, has been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the OESC family has taken up the challenge.

“We’ve still got a couple of days to go before it starts, but we’ve already got 32 staff and board members participating.

“This could go higher, with the club also matching staff fundraising dollar-for-dollar, up to $5000.”

STEPtember also has the benefit of highlighting the importance of keeping active in the community, with participants setting out how many steps they aim to take in a day via a CPA app on their phones, Mr Kelly revealed.

“Some may target 5000 steps in a day, others may aim at 10,000; either way, it’s a big commitment for every day over the month.

“There’s a bit of friendly competition involved, but ultimately everyone is working towards the same goal, raising money and awareness for the CPA.”

The Alliance is one of the major agencies for the lifelong muscular disorder related to pre- or post-birth trauma, CPA spokesperson Agata Waszczuk explained.

“The Cerebral Palsy Alliance is the world leader on cerebral palsy research and the main support body in NSW and Canberra,” Ms Waszczuk explained.

“This is our 16th event, and the idea is for people to reach 10,000 steps a day or in a ‘converting activity’ – stretching, rowing if you’re in a wheelchair, swimming, even gardening,” she added.

By taking part, OESC is partnering with thousands of other Australians who support this cause, which impacts about one in 700 babies born each year.

“Last year we had 80,400 participants across Australia, who raised $6.7 million, with the funds going towards early detection and therapy,” Ms Waszczuk said.

“There’s no cure, but early diagnosis can make a huge difference in slowing its progression,” she said, adding that early interventions can help a baby to walk, talk, and live independently later in life.

Mr Kelly added that OESC’s wholehearted support of the project is all part of the club’s core goal of giving back to the community.

“Members can also sponsor staff through a QR code we’ll be advertising in the foyer here, at Wentworth, and at the Country Club,” Mr Kelly said.

“Last year our club grants from ‘Category One’ alone totalled $157,000, so giving back to the community is part of our purpose – it’s what we do,” he concluded.