Fred Hollows family team joins Sydney Coastrek fundraising walk
Several members of Fred Hollows’ own family – his children, godparents to his children, Fred & Gabi’s godchildren, the children’s partners and other close friends – will enter the Wild Women On Top Sydney Coastrek 2011 endurance challenge from Palm Beach to Coogee on March 4 and 5.
This 50 to 100 kilometre team trek along the stunning Sydney coastline promotes health and fitness as well as teamwork, agility and fun, and aims to raise $500,000 for the Fred Hollows Foundation to support its work to eliminate avoidable blindness in 18 countries worldwide. In Australia its aim is to improve the health and life expectancy of Indigenous Australians.
“We’ve been training hard,” said Emma Hollows, spokesperson for the family teams. “We’ve walked across the roof of Australia; we’ve walked from South Head to La Perouse and back; we’ve walked city streets and we’ve walked between sheep stations on the Great Dividing Range. We are enjoying this mighty challenge.”
The walk includes ocean beaches, headlands, cliff tops and bush tracks. After crossing the Harbour Bridge, it passes along the eastern suburbs harbour shores and ocean coastline to finish in Coogee, within sight of Fred’s Randwick home.
“Cataract blindness can be reversed for just $25,” said nursing student Anna Hollows. “Any donation makes a difference”.
Greens Waverley councillor and former Waverley mayor Mora Main is Emma’s godmother.
“Last year our generous friends and supporters sponsored our team with more than $10,000 in donations for the Foundation’s work,” Cr Main said.
“We were overwhelmed by the support. With five mixed (women & men) family teams of four participating this year, we see our effort as insignificant compared to the challenge of living with preventable blindness.
“Please cheer along tired walkers who will be looking forward to finishing within the 36-hour time limit at Coogee on the morning of Saturday, March 5, and support us with your donations, however small.”
To sponsor family and friends of Fred in Coastrek 2011, go to: http://on.fb.me/fredteam
For more information about the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation, go to:
For more information about Coastrek 2011 and maps of the route, see:
