Team ReachOut and Race blitzes the field

04 September 2015

We’ve been blown away by the support given to ReachOut by an Australia-wide community of runners, swimmers and cyclists that we call Team ReachOut and Race. Together, these dedicated supporters have raised awareness of youth mental health in their local communities, and collectively they’ve raised more than $68,000 across 10 events.

When Kirsten signed up for the Gold Cost Marathon she wasn’t even planning to raise money. At first, she thought fundraising was too hard, and felt uncomfortable asking people to donate.

“Then I read about a guy who worked with a young man who took his own life. This guy wasn't a triathlete yet he raced both the 70.3 km Noosa Tri and the Melbourne Ironman in memory of his friend. He raised more than $20,000. And then I decided surely I can raise a couple of hundred dollars for a brilliant cause. So here I am, asking for money,” she said.

Kirsten’s smashed her $200 goal by raising more than $1200.

Cooryna, who lives in regional NSW, was motivated to run to reduce stigma around mental health, and brought her community in on it too.

“I want young people to realise that discussing mental health shouldn't be a taboo topic. I've lost very dear friends who struggled with their mental health and I've also seen people conquer it and get healthy again.”

Cooryna won the support of her local radio station, resulting in $700 directly from local listeners, and featured in the local paper too. Plus, she organised a sausage sizzle with some help from her local Rotary Club.

Kirsten and Cooryna weren’t the only ones to beat their goals. Our very own Billy aimed for $750 but bagged $3000, while Sam called us for some fundraising tips, and had pretty much raised $300 by the time he got off the phone!

A number of companies also jumped in to raise funds, so we want to thank those who bravely pulled out their running shorts in front of their colleagues for a chilly start at Sydney’s recent City2Surf. We’re talking about the teams from Valtech, APD, Twitter for Good, and in particular EY, who have supported our work for years.

Fundraising Coordinator Jen Arceo cheers on runners at the City2Surf finish line.[/caption]

EY’s Leon said he was super grateful for the opportunity: “I’m very appreciative and very happy to help out an organisation that helps people my age. I’m 18 years old myself, and I know of a few people who have been through some tough times mentally.”

Jen Arceo, ReachOut Fundraising Coordinator, said "We'd set ourselves pretty ambitious goals for this year, but the team has gone above and beyond and we couldn't be happier with the amazing outcome.

“This huge result is all credit to our fundraisers, their hard work and the generous support they give to ReachOut. We're pumped for next year!"