Giving lunch hosts running great

AUSTRALIAN running great Cathy Freeman is coming to Ballarat in October to speak about her athletic career, and charity work.

Known for her iconic performance at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Freeman will be in conversation with long-distance runner Steve Moneghetti about her success and impacts.

“I’m looking forward to chatting with Cathy Freeman about the life and times of a living legend, from bursting onto the world running scene as a shy 16-year-old to becoming a national treasure with her run in Sydney 2000, to her work with various community groups since, including her own Cathy Freeman Foundation, and what her main focus is now and moving forward,” Moneghetti said.

The talk is part of a Celebration of Giving lunch; a forum for the launch of a five-year strategy to promote and enhance altruism in Ballarat.

“Cathy is an icon of Australian athletics, but it’s not as well known that she’s used her status to give back to First Nations people, and that’s the conversation we’re hoping to provoke,” Ballarat Foundation CEO Andrew Eales said.

“What we’ve seen in Ballarat and in the last three years is an incredibly difficult period with COVID and cost of living pressures, and this event is an opportunity to say thank you to the Ballarat community for their generosity.

“It’s also time to talk about some of the momentum we’ve seen around giving, both financially and through volunteering to support others.”

Cathy Freeman will be at The Goods Shed on Thursday 26 October and the lunch will run from 12pm to 2.30pm. Tickets are $180 for individuals and $1800 for a table.