THE O\u2019Keefe Challenge gets underway tomorrow with running events ranging from full marathons to two-kilometre kid\u2019s courses being held.<\/p>\n
But there will be plenty on offer for those not considering hitting the track with Heathcote Community House hosting a community games event.<\/p>\n
HCH\u2019s Vicki Forde said the fun run and the community games coming together was a full-circle moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Heathcote Community House was one of the founding partners of the O’Keefe Challenge,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened originally the other way where the community games were the actual event and then the O\u2019Keefe Challenge came out of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still run Heathcote Community Games which we’ve now incorporated back into the O’Keefe Challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Games and a bush market will be held at Barrack Reserve in Heathcote and Ms Forde said they\u2019ll be plenty to keep young and old entertained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ll have a rock-climbing wall,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will have laser tag in a big blow-up spaceship. We will have archery, not with real arrows heaven-forbid!<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it’s an archery challenge. We’ve managed to secure those from Fun Zone in Bendigo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ll also have some sit-down tables and chairs where people can do some colouring and puzzles while they sit and wait.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll these little games and bits and pieces we’ve organised are to keep children of different ages entertained as well as adults.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Forde also said some special guests will be making an appearance to raise awareness about local threatened fauna.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have the mascots, Fazzie and Priscilla there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFazzie 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur writing group will also join us who are currently writing a book about some threatened species in Heathcote like Fazzie and his friends.\u201d<\/p>\n