Good luck to our Run Melbourne supporters

Mission Australia wishes all of our supporters taking part in Run Melbourne this weekend the best of luck.

Runners for Team Mission Australia in Melbourne and Digital Pictures’ Run DMC team will tread the city’s streets on Sunday to raise money for Mission Australia services in Victoria, including our Charcoal Lane social enterprise restaurant in Fitzroy and the Urban Renewal program.

They are part of a community of active supporters taking part in winter and spring fun runs and marathons in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide to help fund our life-changing services.

Among the runners are several clients from our Sydney homeless services who are taking part in this year’s City2Surf on Sunday 14 August.

This morning, for the fifth week in a row, Sydney Roosters players led Mission Australia City2 Surf team members through a training session at the club’s HQ in Moore Park. Big thanks to Roosters Jake Friend (pictured with the MA Team’s Wayne), Lama Tasi, Ethan Lowe and Cheyse Blair for taking the time out to offer advice, fitness tips and motivation to our City2Surf Team. Also a huge thank you to the generous people from Fit for Good for kitting out the MA Team members with new shorts and drink bottles.

If you’d like to support the MA Team as they take on the City2Surf challenge next month, go to their City2Surf fundraising page.

If you’d like to get behind any of the teams running in support of Mission Australia, visit this page. You’ll also find links to other fundraising events, such as our 2011 Winter Sleepout.+

Running for a reason

If you’re one of the thousands of runners gearing up for a winter marathon or fun run, why not take the opportunity to help out an Australian in need?

Events such as the upcoming Gold Coast Marathon, Run Melbourne, the Sydney City2Surf and Perth City to Surf, as well as running festivals in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney in Spring, can be much more than chances to get healthy and take on a personal challenge.

To support to Mission Australia while getting fit, simply follow one of the links below to your chosen event, register online and select Mission Australia as your charity of choice. We can help you set up your own unique fundraising page to share with your friends and family so that you can start fundraising to transform lives.

By getting behind Mission Australia this season you’ll be joining the Sydney Roosters, who are once again training clients from our Sydney men’s services for the City2Surf. This morning Roosters Jake Friend and Todd Carney met the group of 30 men they will work with over the next two months in preparation for the 14 August challenge.

Events:

• Gold Coast Marathon, 2-3 July, goldcoastmarathon.com.au
• Run Melbourne, 17 July, runmelbourne.com.au
• City2Surf (Sydney), 14 August, city2surf.com.au
• City to Surf (Perth), 28 August, citytosurf.activ.asn.au
• Bridge to Brisbane, 1 September, bridgetobrisbane.com.au
• City-Bay (Adelaide), 18 September, city-bay.org.au
• Sydney Running Festival, 18 September, sydneyrunningfestival.com.au

Good luck, Roosters!

The Sydney Roosters have been great supporters of Mission Australia in 2010. Now clients and staff from our Sydney services are getting behind the team as they prepare for Sunday’s NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final.

As charity partners in our Community Engagement Program, throughout the year Sydney Roosters players have mentored clients and visited our Community Services in the city and eastern suburbs.

Over winter the players donated their time to train Mission Australia clients from the Liverpool Centre, Harris Park Hostel and the Mission Australia Centre in Sydney’s inner city.

The Michael Project's Recreation Officer, Adam Bowden – who co-designed the City to Surf training schedule – said local support for the Roosters has been overwhelming.

“The interaction with the Roosters players our clients have had over the year has really endeared the team to our guys,” he said.

“This relationship, coupled with the generous gifts of Roosters paraphernalia provided by the club, has enabled our clients to feel a sense of inclusion in the festive build up to Sunday’s Grand Final.

“Strutting around in the team colours and boasting to all and sundry about them knowing the players, has really elevated the self-esteem of many of our clients. The sensitivity and compassion the Roosters players have displayed when interacting with our clients, has been nothing short of inspirational.

“What ever the outcome of Sunday’s game, the Roosters are all ready winners in my eyes.”

Mission Australia wishes the Sydney Roosters all the best for Sunday. Go Chooks!

Mission Australia kicks off training for City2Surf

Mission Australia's preparation for the 2010 City2Surf is officially underway with the Sydney Roosters hosting the first training session at Moore Park last Thursday.

For the third year in a row, clients from Mission Australia's homeless mens services in Sydney will participate in the event.

This year the team's training schedule is designed by Sydney Roosters forward Jason Baitieri, and facilitated by the Michael Project's Recreation Officer, Adam Bowden.

The Roosters will host fortnightly training sessions for the weeks leading up to the City2Surf, which should provide an interesting training project for 'coach' Jason Baitieri:

“I had a fantastic time helping the guys out and passing on my knowledge that I have gained through my years playing rugby league. I am looking forward to seeing the progress over the coming weeks leading up to City2Surf”

As part of their Community Engagement Program, Sydney Roosters work with charities like Mission Australia to encourage players to take responsibility for community engagement in addition to playing commitments.

NRL’s Sydney Roosters visit Mission Australia Centre

Yesterday thirty-five Sydney Roosters players visited the Mission Australia Centre in Surry Hills.

The event marked the beginning of an exciting new partnership between Mission Australia and the renowned eastern suburbs rugby league team.

As part of their Community Engagement Program, Sydney Roosters players will volunteer, mentor and visit some of our community services in the inner city/eastern suburbs area.

This will contribute to their broader program which encourages players to take responsibility for being active in the community in addition to their playing commitments.