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\u201cFor me, so many of our veterans who have returned fall between the cracks trying to find help,\u201d Cr Kontelj said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of these people have been in combat and have seen all sorts of atrocities, which they are trying to deal with after spending years in the military.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one way we can try to help them as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner of Geelong United Mr Deam participated in the March On initiative last year and when Cr Kontelj asked him if he would be interested in doing it again, he accepted without hesitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving done it on my own and now doing it in a team, it\u2019s a lot more enjoyable doing it as a group,\u201d Mr Deam said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about mateship, it\u2019s as simple as that. Whether it\u2019s looking after your mate or being with your mate, that is what this initiative is all about.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year I did it all on a treadmill, but this year I had actually gone to Tasmania and walked along the war memorial there and down the Avenue of Honour, and you look at the trees which represent one life that didn\u2019t come back, it makes doing this kind of initiative worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Katos was inspired to take on the challenge because of the mental health of veterans and the benefits that the March On fundraiser can produce.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese returning veterans come back and for some of them, they need help. Some of the veterans don\u2019t know where to get it and they get left behind, so hopefully this challenge for us helps to remedy that for many people,\u201d Mr Katos said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom our perspective, soldiers traversed the Kokoda Trail through pretty tough terrain while getting shot at by the enemy. What we\u2019re doing here is a small sacrifice walking four kilometres a day for a month, but the more money we can acquire for veteran support the better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Neeld referenced the togetherness the Geelong community has and is urging as many residents as possible in the region to help out where they can.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Geelong community is a great community to be a part of and if we can do a little bit to raise awareness in any way, shape or form in supporting those that need assistance, that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, like Andrew said, we\u2019re walking the same length as the Kokoda Trail, but under very different circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geelong Veterans United has already surpassed half-way on their journey to raising $10,000 for March On With Soldier On and believe they can hit their target before April.<\/p>\n
To donate, head to www.marchonchallenge.org.au\/fundraisers\/geelongveteransunited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOUR mates with deep connections to Geelong are walking\/running 96 kilometres over the month of March to raise funds for military veterans and returned service people, representing the same distance as the notorious Kokoda Trail. City of Greater Geelong councillor Eddy Kontelj, Geelong United Basketball CEO Mark Neeld, Geelong United Basketball commissioner Mike Deam and […]<\/p>\n