Athletics Australia – News – Support the Cathy Freeman Foundation at the Melbourne Marathon Festival

In just under two weeks, the Cathy Freeman Foundation, led by founder and director Catherine Freeman, will join thousands of Australians on the start line for the Melbourne Marathon Festival.

Athletics Australia encourages track and field fans Australia wide to show their support for the cause of this wonderful organisation by donating here.

The Cathy Freeman Foundation raises money to support the children on Palm Island in far north Queensland. Here are some facts about life on Palm Island:
·         It’s Australia’s fourth most disadvantaged community.
·         Population is approximately 3,800 and on average 10 people live in each house.
·         60% of the population is under 20 years old.
·         The unemployment rate is 90%.
·         Life expectancy is 50 years old.
·         Nearly 80% of the children suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss, which impacts their ability to learn & communicate.
·         More than 90% of year 7 students can’t read or write.
 
By contributing to the team's cause at the Melbourne Marathon Festival, you will assist in delivering:
·         The Starting Block Program – aims to improve and reward children on school attendance, literacy, work ethic and behaviour. Schools have reported a 20% increase in attendance since the program started in 2008.
·         The Early Literacy Program – a collaboration between the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation that provides accredited training to parents, carers and community members to assist children in the early years of learning and focuses on improving literacy rates.
·         The Activities Program – provides children that attend school with the opportunity to participate in sporting and recreational activities after school.
·         The Horizons Program – funds children to attend all-expenses paid camps and excursions designed to empower and open minds to new possibilities. Children are selected based on merit, attitude and the determination to achieve. For many children this will be their first experience outside of Palm Island.
·         The Scholarships Program – in partnership with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, provides scholarships for Palm Island children to attend secondary boarding school. In 2010, the program assisted eight students and in coming year Cathy Freeman Foundation plan on doubling this.

To learn more about the Cathy Freeman Foundaton, please click here.

Athletics Australia, and the Cathy Freeman Foundation, thank you for your support of this great initiative.

To all starters at the Melbourne Marathon Festival we say good luck, it's a great day that raises much needed funds for an abundance of worthy reasons.

For more information on the event head to the website here.

Athletics Australia – News