Trek rego blitz starting early

REGISTRATIONS are open for one of the region’s largest community fundraising walks with hundreds already signing up and more than $10,000 already raised.

The organising committee of the Surf Coast Trek said fundraising for the 40km or 26km treks from Aireys Inlet or Anglesea to Torquay had begun in the lead up to the May 13 event.

Head of marketing at Kids+, Sharon Gibbons, said Kids+ and the Give Where You Live Foundation are excited to see how many registrants come forward after observing unprecedented numbers in 2022.

Both organisations host the annual event.

“With both organisations splitting the proceeds of the Surf Coast Trek once again, both organisations are extremely excited to get the ball rolling this year,” Ms Gibbons said.

“We’ve done a bit of a soft launch in the past couple weeks, and we’ll really be trying to get the word out over the next month.

“We’ve also overhauled and renovated our fundraising side of things to make it easier for people to contribute, but registrations are filling up faster and faster every year and we’re seeing that again already.”

As of February 15, more than 280 trekkers have already registered with more than $11,400 raised.

Ms Gibbons reiterated the Surf Coast Trek is first and foremost a fundraiser, stating anyone who registers should only do so if their primary intention is to raise funds.

“It’s definitely not a race, it’s not a run and it’s not a race,” she added.

“The messaging we are trying to really push is that it is a fundraiser. While it is also a fitness challenge, it’s more appropriately a community fundraiser.

“There is only a small group who focus on their time, but the focus really is on raising money and supporting the community.”

The official fundraising target this year will be $300,000.

Head to surfcoasttrek.com.au/signup to register for this year’s event.