Feet first for fundraiser return

ORGANISERS behind the local arm of a nationwide walking fundraiser aimed at supporting premature-born babies in Australia are preparing for the return of their first in-person event in four years.

Now in its 14th year, the Walk for Prems event has been held in Ballarat since 2017 with its return to the region in October signalling the first group walking initiative since 2019.

The event is the key fundraiser for charity organisation Life’s Little Treasures, which provides families with premature-born children with financial assistance, Precious Prem Packs, and support initiatives.

The Ballarat event’s coordinator Samantha Smith said she’s excited to see the group walk return.

“It’s massive to be back,” she said. “We’ve got the two major hospitals in Ballarat who have prem babies.

“So far, we’re tracking third highest which is great. We’re doing better than Adelaide which is a major city. The top two are always Melbourne and Brisbane.

“Some of the things we heard during our time in hospital are still heard to this day and what this foundation can do is why I wanted to bring this back to Ballarat.”

Ms Smith said their previous event in 2019 saw nearly 250 people registered, and with about 100 walkers signed on so far, she’s hoping to reach similar numbers.

Ballarat will be one of nine group walking fundraiser events for the initiative held in major Australian cities throughout October.

According to Life’s Little Treasures, 48,000 premature babies are born each year nationwide.

The Ballarat event will contribute to an overall goal of $500,000 for 2023.

Ms Smith has organised each Ballarat event, and said the key aim is about raising awareness for families regarding the support available to them.

“My husband and I had two premature twins at 32 weeks. Our prem journey was a good one but we didn’t know the foundation existed,” she said.

“Just knowing there’s a foundation out there to support families is huge. Everything’s word-of-mouth these days so this is the least I can do to help other families.”

The Ballarat event will run on Sunday 15 October at Lake Wendouree from 9.30am.

To donate or register, visit the Walk for Prems website.