O’Keefe Challenge more than just a fun run

Furry friends: Fazzie the Phascogale will be out and about this weekend at the Heathcote Community Games as part of the O’Keefe Challenge. Photo: SUPPLIED

THE O’Keefe Challenge gets underway tomorrow with running events ranging from full marathons to two-kilometre kid’s courses being held.

But there will be plenty on offer for those not considering hitting the track with Heathcote Community House hosting a community games event.

HCH’s Vicki Forde said the fun run and the community games coming together was a full-circle moment.

“The Heathcote Community House was one of the founding partners of the O’Keefe Challenge,” she said.

“It happened originally the other way where the community games were the actual event and then the O’Keefe Challenge came out of that.

“We still run Heathcote Community Games which we’ve now incorporated back into the O’Keefe Challenge.”

The Games and a bush market will be held at Barrack Reserve in Heathcote and Ms Forde said they’ll be plenty to keep young and old entertained.

“We’ll have a rock-climbing wall,” she said. “We will have laser tag in a big blow-up spaceship. We will have archery, not with real arrows heaven-forbid!

“But it’s an archery challenge. We’ve managed to secure those from Fun Zone in Bendigo.

“We’ll also have some sit-down tables and chairs where people can do some colouring and puzzles while they sit and wait.

“All these little games and bits and pieces we’ve organised are to keep children of different ages entertained as well as adults.”

Ms Forde also said some special guests will be making an appearance to raise awareness about local threatened fauna.

“We will have the mascots, Fazzie and Priscilla there,” she said.

“Fazzie is the Brush-tailed Phascogale, which is a native threatened marsupial and Priscilla, who was formally adopted as the mascot for the O’Keefe challenge, the powerful owl.

“Our writing group will also join us who are currently writing a book about some threatened species in Heathcote like Fazzie and his friends.”

If you would like to register for the O’Keefe Challenge head to bit.ly/3ALcvra all events and activities at Barrack Reserve are free to attend.