KidsWish teams up with The Great Illawarra Walk for iconic event

KidsWish is thrilled to announce its partnership with The Great Illawarra Walk for this year’s annual event where hundreds of dedicated community members will make the trek from Shellharbour to Austinmer.

All money raised from the 40km walk on Saturday 9 March will be donated to KidsWish to help its mission of fulfilling the lives of children living with disability or illness and their families through supportive programs, special events and community projects. 

With the introduction of the all-inclusive KidsWish Blue Mile along the Wollongong foreshore, everyone can participate even if they aren’t able to do the full course.

There are opportunities to get involved as an entrant or sponsor to help KidsWish to fund its free programs and events for children. 

The Great Illawarra Walk and KidsWish are putting the call out for people to register for the event with different courses set up for walkers who do not want to complete the entire trek up the coast. 

Entry is $50 for adults and $20 for children, which includes an event T-shirt, lunch, and access to family-friendly activities, with all proceeds going to KidsWish.

Registrations are now open – head to The Great Illawarra Walk for more information and to register as an individual, register your own team or join the KidsWish Team.

Illawarra Security Guards has signed up to be the major sponsor of this year’s event.

Local businesses can sponsor a water station to quench the walkers’ thirst and cheer them along, all while gaining exposure and promoting their brand to what will hopefully be a record tally of more than 800 entrants pounding the pavements this year.

Water Station sponsors are limited to 20 spots so get in quick! If you’re interested in supporting KidsWish and our local community and would like more information, please email events@kidswish.org.au. 

Great Illawarra Walk founder Chris Lovatt said the event would be family friendly and inclusive, and he was thrilled with the addition of the KidsWish Blue Mile.

“We have worked hard to ensure that we can deliver the best possible event for our community,” he said.

“The addition of the KidsWish Blue Mile in Wollongong means more people have access to this great event. This will be a shorter stretch from Belmore Basin to Stuart Park to ensure everyone can get involved.”

KidsWish Stakeholder Engagement and Fundraising Manager Emily Wright said the new partnership will provide great benefits to families throughout the Illawarra.

“We are really excited to be partnering with the Great Illawarra Walk for this iconic community event,” she said.

“At KidsWish we aim to bring joy and opportunities to children and families of the Illawarra who are living with disability or illness. The money raised through this event will provide vital support to our programs and community projects.”

The event couldn’t happen without the phenomenal support from the Illawarra community.

“Every year when this event rolls around we see the whole community rally together to support children in need. It’s what makes this event so great,” Chris added.

“We also have a fantastic team of sponsors, and thanks to our major sponsor Illawarra Security Guards, we are able to donate 100 per cent of what we raise, with no administrative costs or associated fees.”