ALL you have to do is run, or walk, and it is the catch line driving Emmaus pupils moving to help combat hunger across the region.
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Emmaus primary social justice committee members Sophie, Meg and Tara say The Ballarat Foundation’s Run for a Cause seemed an easy way to make a big difference in the community.
The trio will be out on course for the inaugural event next week – likely in the five-kilometre family walk or one-kilometre dash – but the committee has already delivered an early boost to the cause. Early social justice fundraising efforts have raised $300 Feed Ballarat Appeal.
"Run for a Cause is good because it gives us exercise and is also helping a lot of people. We can make people aware others out there need our help,” Tara said.
“The Ballarat Foundation’s main goal is to build a food warehouse so businesses can drive all their extra food to the warehouse and the warehouse can distribute the food to all the charities who help people.”
Emmaus senior pupils met with Foundation chief executive officer Matt Jenkins to learn about the Foundation’s philanthropic work with charities and in grants across the wider Ballarat region.
Run for a Cause aims to highlight a different social issue in the region each year. The inaugural event is raising awareness and funds to establish a Food Bank in Ballarat and to support existing charities working in food welfare.
This comes as new research earlier this year revealed one in eight people in Ballarat are going hungry and one in three are children.
Run for a Cause aims to highlight a different social issue in the region each year. The inaugural event is raising awareness and funds to establish a Food Bank in Ballarat and to support existing charities working in food welfare.
This comes as new research earlier this year revealed one in eight people in Ballarat are going hungry and one in three are children. Of those presenting to food welfare bodies, 26 per cent are going to sleep hungry each week. Food insecurity can also be due to a lack of cooking or cold storage facilities, lack of transport, or trying to cut back to pay bills or feed children first.
Meg said Emmaus’ social justice committee like to have different goals to help and learn about lots of different issues.
“We meet with our teacher and talk about how we can make our world a more socially just place,” Meg said.
The committee is also working on projects like a cupcake fundraiser to allow a sister school in East Timor fresh milk and a dress collection for girls in drought-stricken areas.
Run for Cause is on Sunday, November 18. The event will feature 10 and five-kilometre runs, a 5km family walk and 1km children’s dash. Register: run4ac.org.
Other key Run details you need to know
DATE: Sunday, November 18.
THE CAUSE: food security in the region. Money raised helps support The Ballarat Foundation’s charity partners working in this space.
RUNS: 10km and 5km, which have been trimmed to what Ballarat is used to. Distances fit more in line with other fun runs, personal running goals, ParkRun distance and even what is contested at Olympic level.
FAMILY: There will be a 5km walk, suitable for people with prams, and a one-kilometre children’s dash.
COURSE: Start and finish events precinct in Victoria Park. Race ambassador Julian Spence said the course needed to be a little difference to what Ballarat is used to running, for example ParkRun, and include the iconic Lake Wendouree. The course is also flat to suit all runners, from those pushing for a fast run to those keen to get moving.
TRAINING: The Courier will feature Spence’s weekly training programs to help get you started. The Running Company is hosting a beginners’ group on Wednesday evenings from the store at 6pm. The Athlete’s Foot Ballarat is also running a couch to 5km program to the event on Tuesday evenings.
RUN EXPERTISE: Hometown Olympic marathon hero Steve Moneghetti and fellow marathon runner Julian Spence (The Running Company Ballarat) are event ambassadors.
BACKGROUND: The Ballarat Foundation announced in late July it would host the community event to help fill the void of a disbanded Run Ballarat, which raised more than $1million for the Ballarat Health Services children’s ward redevelopment in six years. The children’s ward opened in June.
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