Committed trekkers walk or run 50km through Kangaroo Valley to aid East Timorese students
Announcement posted by KVRP - Trek for Timor 02 Aug 2019
Trek for Timor - Kangaroo Valley NSW - 14 September 2019
The biennial Trek for Timor fundraising event will be held on Saturday 14th September 2019, with participants walking or running 50km, 36km or 14km through the magnificent Morton National Park in Kangaroo Valley to raise funds towards life changing community programs in Timor Leste.
The Trek for Timor is organised by the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership (KVRP), a small community group from the Kangaroo Valley.
“The Trek for Timor is such a great community-building event, we always have the most amazing people join us on the day!”, says Lynne Keevers, one of the event organisers and long-time member of KVRP. “The three different route lengths mean that the Trek is suitable for people of all fitness levels – from ultramarathon and trail runners right through to families with young children.”
Participants are encouraged to register in a team of between two and six for the Trek and ask family and friends to sponsor them. Funds raised are used to meet community needs in Timor Leste.
“Over the last few Treks we’ve raised about $300,000 which has allowed us to complete the Remexio Solar Lighting Project, providing light to 1,500 homes in remote rural areas. We also purchased and renovated a student house in Dili to support young students wishing to gain a tertiary education,” explains Lynne. “The last Trek for Timor allowed us to purchase a second student house in Dili, and this year we hope to raise enough money to renovate it to accommodate eight to 10 young Timorese people while they complete their tertiary education.”
Katrina Thomas, who completed the last Trek for Timor, said, “I did the Trek with a friend and it was such an uplifting and enjoyable experience. The walk takes you through stunning bushland, which helped to take our minds off our tired legs! I’d recommend the Trek for Timor to any groups of friends or families considering it, it was a fabulous and fun day out.”
Proving that age is no barrier, Chris Gorman, 80, from the Blue Mountains, also completed the last Trek, and hopes to do so again this year.
“I’ve always lived an active lifestyle, as I believe that we’ll last longer if our body is not allowed to rust away!” said Chris. “Committing to do the Trek for Timor last year gave me extra motivation to find time to train each day, knowing that I’d be one of, if not the oldest, participants on the track. Completing the 50km Trek through beautiful Kangaroo Valley and raising money for such an important cause made me very proud, and the bond I formed with my fellow Trekkers is without parallel.”
Those keen to get involved but not up for walking or running the Trek are encouraged to volunteer, by helping out at Checkpoints, registering teams, being a marshal, taking photos or prepping food for hungry Trekkers.
Visit www.kvrp.net.au to register.
About the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership
After the destruction and killing which swept Timor Leste in 1999, a small group of Kangaroo Valley residents joined together to make a difference. A partnership was discussed with Remexio, a small village 25km south of the capital, Dili. Remexio is difficult to access, rarely visited by non-locals and has poor standards of living.
Since 1999, KVRP has worked closely with the people of Remexio and facilitated a number of small-scale programs and activities. In 2009, however, a much larger project was undertaken – the Village Lighting Project – which aimed to provide solar lighting to a number of the most remote communities. This need for more significant fundraising led to the first Trek for Timor. Between 2009 and 2016 the Village Lighting Project completed lighting installations in more than 1,500 dwellings in some of the most remote parts of the district and in several schools.
Since the completion of the Village Lighting Project, KVRP’s focus has been on its Education Strategy, which aims to provide scholarships, support and accommodation to young people from Remexio to further their studies in the capital, Dili. Eight students currently reside in the first student house, and a second house was purchased in 2018, which KVRP hopes to be able to renovate in order to accommodate another eight students.
For more information visit www.kvrp.net.au
The Trek for Timor is organised by the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership (KVRP), a small community group from the Kangaroo Valley.
“The Trek for Timor is such a great community-building event, we always have the most amazing people join us on the day!”, says Lynne Keevers, one of the event organisers and long-time member of KVRP. “The three different route lengths mean that the Trek is suitable for people of all fitness levels – from ultramarathon and trail runners right through to families with young children.”
Participants are encouraged to register in a team of between two and six for the Trek and ask family and friends to sponsor them. Funds raised are used to meet community needs in Timor Leste.
“Over the last few Treks we’ve raised about $300,000 which has allowed us to complete the Remexio Solar Lighting Project, providing light to 1,500 homes in remote rural areas. We also purchased and renovated a student house in Dili to support young students wishing to gain a tertiary education,” explains Lynne. “The last Trek for Timor allowed us to purchase a second student house in Dili, and this year we hope to raise enough money to renovate it to accommodate eight to 10 young Timorese people while they complete their tertiary education.”
Katrina Thomas, who completed the last Trek for Timor, said, “I did the Trek with a friend and it was such an uplifting and enjoyable experience. The walk takes you through stunning bushland, which helped to take our minds off our tired legs! I’d recommend the Trek for Timor to any groups of friends or families considering it, it was a fabulous and fun day out.”
Proving that age is no barrier, Chris Gorman, 80, from the Blue Mountains, also completed the last Trek, and hopes to do so again this year.
“I’ve always lived an active lifestyle, as I believe that we’ll last longer if our body is not allowed to rust away!” said Chris. “Committing to do the Trek for Timor last year gave me extra motivation to find time to train each day, knowing that I’d be one of, if not the oldest, participants on the track. Completing the 50km Trek through beautiful Kangaroo Valley and raising money for such an important cause made me very proud, and the bond I formed with my fellow Trekkers is without parallel.”
Those keen to get involved but not up for walking or running the Trek are encouraged to volunteer, by helping out at Checkpoints, registering teams, being a marshal, taking photos or prepping food for hungry Trekkers.
Visit www.kvrp.net.au to register.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Saturday 14th September, 2019
Time: From 6am
Where: Morton National Park, Kangaroo Valley
Distance: 50km, 36km or 14km
Who: While the 50km Trek is suited to experienced bushwalkers, runners and people with a considerable level of fitness, the 14km is family friendly, taking an average time of 3-4 hours.
Registration: Students and pensioners $50pp / All others $65pp
Children under 12 free to register
More info: www.kvrp.net.au or Facebook www.facebook.com/TrekforTimorKVRP
Time: From 6am
Where: Morton National Park, Kangaroo Valley
Distance: 50km, 36km or 14km
Who: While the 50km Trek is suited to experienced bushwalkers, runners and people with a considerable level of fitness, the 14km is family friendly, taking an average time of 3-4 hours.
Registration: Students and pensioners $50pp / All others $65pp
Children under 12 free to register
More info: www.kvrp.net.au or Facebook www.facebook.com/TrekforTimorKVRP
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Distributed by Crystal Clear Communications on behalf of the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership (KVRP)
Media contact: Rachel McDougall rachel@crystalclearcommunications.com.au | 0401 694 301
Distributed by Crystal Clear Communications on behalf of the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership (KVRP)
Media contact: Rachel McDougall rachel@crystalclearcommunications.com.au | 0401 694 301
About the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership
After the destruction and killing which swept Timor Leste in 1999, a small group of Kangaroo Valley residents joined together to make a difference. A partnership was discussed with Remexio, a small village 25km south of the capital, Dili. Remexio is difficult to access, rarely visited by non-locals and has poor standards of living.
Since 1999, KVRP has worked closely with the people of Remexio and facilitated a number of small-scale programs and activities. In 2009, however, a much larger project was undertaken – the Village Lighting Project – which aimed to provide solar lighting to a number of the most remote communities. This need for more significant fundraising led to the first Trek for Timor. Between 2009 and 2016 the Village Lighting Project completed lighting installations in more than 1,500 dwellings in some of the most remote parts of the district and in several schools.
Since the completion of the Village Lighting Project, KVRP’s focus has been on its Education Strategy, which aims to provide scholarships, support and accommodation to young people from Remexio to further their studies in the capital, Dili. Eight students currently reside in the first student house, and a second house was purchased in 2018, which KVRP hopes to be able to renovate in order to accommodate another eight students.
For more information visit www.kvrp.net.au