Running for a cause

OCEAN Grove’s Marnie Holden ran for a good cause recently, finishing the Great Ocean Road Running Festival half marathon to raise money for Wombat’s Wish.

Ms Holden, a qualified psychologist, originally began as a volunteer within the organisation that helps bereaved children deal with the loss of a parent and now works at the camp, the only one of its kind in Victoria.

“Wombat’s Wish is one of the only organisations that do anything like this, it doesn’t just focus on the chid but the parent as well. It’s a shared experience with activities for the children and the parent,” she said.

Each year about 100 children in the Geelong area experience the death of a parent, and Ms Holden said she was drawn to the organisation after friends volunteered.

“I had friends say what a rewarding experience it is. I think volunteers and team leaders get as much if not more out of the experience then the children do.

“The camp is completely free for families to attend, it’s quite expensive though to run- supplying the food and therapists and all the associated costs. I am a runner and I thought the half marathon was a good opportunity to raise money for a charity close to my heart.

“I’ve done marathons before; I was also running to support a friend that was running the full marathon as part of my fundraising team.”

Ms Holden alongside team-mates Rebecca Walters and Kerrie Smith have raised $850 for the charity through their respective runs and are hoping to raise more.

“One of the most rewarding things about the camp is making it a normal experience, at the end of the camp kids will say they didn’t realise how many other people have had a parent that died.

“They build connections and the families stay in touch afterwards. The main aim of our fundraiser was not just to raise money but create awareness for people around the state.”

To donate go to givenow.com.au/crowdraiser/public/RunningforWombatsWish.