Great run to raise funds for Geelong Mums

LOCAL businessman and father Levi Turner will use his own two feet to travel the length of the Great Ocean Road later this year in aid of Geelong Mums.
Starting in Barwon Heads and finishing in Warrnambool, Mr Turner will raise much-needed funds for the support organisation as he runs the gruelling 300km course from October 19-23.
“We exercise and stay fit for different reasons, and most of the time it’s for selfish reasons,” Mr Turner said.
“This time around, I’m putting my training to good use by running the length of the Great Ocean Road while raising money for Geelong Mums.”
He has set a target of $10,000 and said the driving force behind the run was his own children.
“It’s not until you have children of your own that you want to give them everything you possibly can. But what if that wasn’t much at all? What if you couldn’t provide the bare essentials?
“Geelong Mums help provide this and much more to parents, babies and children in the greater Geelong region, and with 2020 being such a difficult year for many, it’s really important to get behind those vulnerable in our community.”
Thanks to the generosity of the community, Geelong Mums were able to help more than 6,200 babies and children from vulnerable families across Geelong in the past year.”
Geelong Mums recycle nursery equipment including cots, prams, and car seats, as well as clothes and other baby essentials, and sort, quality check, and safety check them to ensure they meet existing Australian Safety Standards.
The organisation receive requests from Maternal Child Health nurses and social workers on behalf of families in need, and then tries to meet or exceed each request with quality new or pre-loved donations.
“Babies don’t stop being born in a pandemic and children all need warm clothes,” Geelong Mums general manager Julia Roache said.
“Throughout both lockdown periods without our volunteers and in person goods donations, we have continued distributing essential items to relieve some of the pressure these families experience.
“We are also expecting a sharp increase in requests for our service as the economic situation takes a toll on Geelong families. Levi’s fundraising efforts couldn’t come at a better time to help us support those that need it most.”
In the 2019/20 financial year, 98 per cent of the 61,318 items rehomed by Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums to babies and children were donated.
To donate to support Levi Turner’s efforts, head to run-for-geelong-mums.raisely.com/leviturner.
For more information on Geelong Mums, including how you can support them during the pandemic, head to geelongmums.org.