Virtual run on home straight

THE Ballarat Foundation’s alternative 2020 Run for A Cause will conclude at the end of the November, raising funds for the Ballarat Reads program all month.

Usually coordinating the region’s largest community fun run and walking event each spring, the Foundation have organised a virtual challenge this year, and with five more days to go, young and old can still hit the footpaths to take part.

Runners or walkers can register to complete a nominated goal distance, whether that be a marathon or a few kilometres; whatever meets their goals for health and fitness. They are then encouraged to seek support from sponsors in their family and friend network to boost Ballarat’s literacy.

Sarah Dean is a parent of a child involved in the Ballarat Reads program. She said the Foundation’s deliveries to her letterbox means literature can bring joy into her home and to her curious early learner.

“My two-and-a-half-year-old has been receiving books from the Imagination Library for almost 12 months now, and we look forward to our new text each month,” she said.

“We have been so lucky to explore a wide variety of books and I can see her development and love of learning and reading growing.

“I can’t thank the Ballarat Foundation enough.”

Those taking part in the virtual challenge can log their kilometres and manage their fundraising support via the Raisley platform, sharing the page on social media to further spread the word about the Ballarat Reads initiatives.

One of those, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, gives children like Ms Dean’s a monthly book from birth to five years old, especially picked for their age and developmental level to prepare them for starting school strongly.

So far, Ballarat Reads has positively impacted 724 local children, and Run for A Cause’s financial input will help even more kids become lovers of literature in 2021.

Visit run-for-a-cause-virtual.raisely.com to take the challenge.