WELLBEING WALK FOR BLACK DOG
ONE year since the beers stopped flowing at clubs due to COVIDenforced shutdowns, the Queensland Clubs community is rallying supporters to raise awareness for mental health.
About 240 people will make the trek from Coolangatta Surf Club to Currumbin RSL on Saturday in an effort to generate more than $30,000 in donations for the Black Dog Institute.
There’s also a 5km option that will start and finish at the Bilinga surf club.
Coolangatta Surf Club general manager Steve Edgar said he was excited to see the whole community getting involved.
“We wanted to make it all inclusive, so there will be managers, directors, suppliers, everyone walking,” Mr Edgar said.
“I want to have conversations during the walk around how we can work through the stigma (of mental health).”
Mr Edgar’s vision for the Clubs for a Cause inaugural charity walk began in September when he participated in One Foot Forward with the Black Dog Institute.
According to the institute, one in five Australians experience a mental illness and 65 per cent of those experiencing it do not seek treatment.
“It has been one of the toughest years mentally we have ever faced,” Mr Edgar said. “Often there is an unmeasurable and unseen weight on our shoulders.
“It’s not immediately obvious when somebody is struggling and as Australians we still foolishly harbour the ‘she’ll be right, mate’ attitude.” For more information go to teamblackdog.org.au/ fundraisers/ClubsforaCause