THE 2023 O\u2019Keefe Challenge transformed Barrack Reserve into a hive of activity last Saturday despite dark clouds and intermittent rain.<\/p>\n
Challenge president Kerstin Brauns said the day had gone brilliantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were lots of happy, smiling faces,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were a lot of people who were new to the area and were doing it for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think having it on a Saturday has brought people into the region to experience Heathcote over the whole weekend which is great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Brauns said she thought numbers were slightly down on last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know if that’s just because COVID is still going around,\u201d she said. \u201cOr it could have just been the change of day to a Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we had about 750 participants which is a pretty good result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stallholders at the monthly Lions bush market benefited from increased numbers courtesy of the Challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople really enjoyed having the market there,\u201d Ms Brauns said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of family and loved ones came along to cheer on their friends and their family and it gave them something extra to do during the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey could go and look at the market, the kids could go off and play in the kids\u2019 zone and we had a lot of extra things for people to actually experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The O\u2019Keefe Challenge originated as an offshoot of the Heathcote Community Games in 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re hoping to bring the community games completely back on board, and link it in with the O’Keefe challenge,\u201d Ms Brauns said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that from next year we\u2019ll get all the schools involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe they can do their schools\u2019 day on the Friday before the events and then have that link into the O’Keefe challenge on the weekend because I think that would be a wonderful thing to bring back to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Queens Meadow Caravan Park proprietor Barbara Sullivan said they had over 20 bookings that were directly related to the Challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings people to the caravan park, which then brings in business for cafes and other shops in town,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE 2023 O\u2019Keefe Challenge transformed Barrack Reserve into a hive of activity last Saturday despite dark clouds and intermittent rain. Challenge president Kerstin Brauns said the day had gone brilliantly. \u201cThere were lots of happy, smiling faces,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were a lot of people who were new to the area and were doing it […]<\/p>\n