As the sun rises over Melbourne today, 2800 people will set off on a 100km trek in teams of four sacrificing toenails and struggling with blisters in an effort to raise money for international aid agency Oxfam. The annual Oxfam TRAILWALKER Melbourne, which starts at 7am in Wheelers Hill, aims to raise $2.7 million for Oxfam Australia’s work to help people around the world find sustainable solutions to poverty.
Oxfam TRAILWALKER spokesperson Leigh Stewart said the 700 teams this year had been faced with the dual challenges of blisters and fundraising in a credit crunch.
“This is the 7th Oxfam TRAILWALKER in Melbourne and the first event we’ve held during the global financial crisis.
“We are hopeful that despite the difficult environment we will meet the $2.7 million target which is so important to the work we do around the world,” Ms Stewart said.
Oxfam TRAILWALKER Melbourne challenges 700 teams of four to walk 100 kilometres from Jells Park in Wheelers Hill to Wesburn Park in the Yarra Valley in under 48 hours and raise at least $1000 each for Oxfam Australia.
Oxfam TRAILWALKER has raised $20 million for Oxfam Australia over the past 10 years, helping the organisation to continue work in areas like water and sanitation, health, emergency response and food security in countries across South and East Asia, Southern Africa, the Pacific and Indigenous Australia.
Notes to editors: A number of Oxfam TRAILWALKER teams are available for interview including: • A team of four colleagues from Financial Services organisation JANA Investment Advisors who are currently the highest fundraising team, to date having raised just over $16 000. • Team Muttey, last year’s winners of Oxfam TRAILWALKER Melbourne who completed the trail in just 11 hours and 26 minutes. • Team RSY, an all-male team who raised $87 000 for Oxfam in 2007 and currently hold the Oxfam TRAILWALKER fundraising record. • Team Us4, an all-woman team who aim to raise over $20 000 for Oxfam this year. Get involved: People can continue to sponsor teams and see live results of teams’ progress over the weekend at oxfam.org.au/trailwalker. Registrations for the Sydney TRAILWALKER event open on April 7, which will take place from August 28 – 30.
For more information, to attend, or to interview Leigh Stewart or Oxfam TRAILWALKER participants, please call Sunita Bose on 0407 555 960.
