With determination, 31 staff from Curtin University’s School of Nursing have come together to honour the legacy of a much-loved colleague, raising more than $12,500 for Telethon at the Perth Running Festival.
The fundraiser was held in memory of Dr Garth Kendall, a senior lecturer and public health epidemiologist who dedicated more than 20 years to improving the health and wellbeing of children and families.
Dr Kendall’s research focused on child and family health, particularly psychosocial functioning, child development, and fathering. For 10 years, he managed the Raine Study, one of the world’s largest and longest-running research projects tracking health outcomes from pregnancy through to adulthood.
He was also a keen hiker who, with his family, regularly trekked the Cape to Cape and Bibbulmun tracks. Following his death earlier this year, staff at the School of Nursing decided to celebrate his life in a way that reflected his passions for both children’s health and the outdoors.
“Within hours of sending out the ‘is anyone interested?’ email to the school, around 25 people had already signed up to participate,” said Curtin School of Nursing Lecturer, Dr Anna Fagence. “The Perth Running Festival’s connection with Telethon made it an easy choice, as Garth had a long association with Telethon and was deeply committed to child health research.”
Dr Kendall was remembered as a mentor, supervisor, colleague, and friend who inspired others to look for “nuggets of gold” in every challenge. His influence extended far beyond Curtin, earning him international recognition for his pioneering work in fathering research.
In later years, he collaborated with fellow academic and former PhD student Dr Fatch Kalembo to develop storybooks for children living with HIV in Malawi, helping them understand their diagnosis. The books have since reached thousands of children across several African countries.
“There was no better way to honour Garth’s legacy and love of walking than us participating in the Perth Running Festival to support Telethon,” Dr Kalembo said. “This donation will help improve the health outcomes of children, a cause that Garth worked hard to champion his whole career.”
Dr Kendall’s family supported the initiative from the outset, calling it a fitting tribute to his life’s work.
The fundraising effort has so far raised more than $12,500, and the team hopes it will continue to grow through their online donation page: https://perthrunningfestival25.grassrootz.com/telethon7/curtin-school-of-nursing
“We could not be prouder of our team and the money we’ve raised for Telethon to help support child health research,” Dr Fagence said. “We are deeply grateful to all our donors for giving us this opportunity to honour his legacy.”
