Annual breakfast to raise funds for mental health programs

A BREAKFAST fundraiser scheduled to take place in mid-July aims to raise tens of thousands of dollars for youth mental health programs in the Greater Geelong region.

Read The Play’s annual Breakfast Fundraiser returns to GMHBA Stadium on July 18, raising funds for the local mental health service provider.

General manager of Read The Play Michaell Gerdtz said the breakfast was the organisation’s biggest event of the year and is expecting another large turnout.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year so we’re super-excited for the breakfast this year.

“We have raised nearly $25,000 dollars in 2024 which has assisted so greatly in us progressing our lofty goals of program expansion and delivery of free programs to all sports in the region.”

This year’s special guest speaker is Kath Koschel, founder of the Kindness Factory.

Ms Koschel overcame severe spinal injuries and the tragic loss of a loved one.

From her loss, she created the Kindness Factory to encourage acts of kindness and inspire positive change.

Ms Gerdtz said Kath would share her incredible journey of overcoming adversity and how kindness played a crucial role in her recovery and personal growth.

This year’s funds raised from the breakfast to new programs for children entering their teenage years, as Read The Play tries to bolster its participation numbers over the next year and a half.

“We aim to reach 7,500 participants by December 2025,” Ms Gerdtz said.

“Funds raised from the breakfast will go towards the development of two new 12-14 year old programs as well as the costs to deliver free education sessions in all sporting clubs in the region in the back end of 2024 and through 2025.”

Further special guests and panellists will be announced by Read The Play early next week.

Tickets to this year’s Read The Play Fundraiser Breakfast can still be bought by heading to readtheplay.org.au/2024-rtp-fundraiser-breakfast