Volunteering At The Bloody Long Walk Gold Coast 35Km Challenge to Cure Mito

The Bloody Long Walk Gold Coast- 35Km Challenge to Cure Mito

There’s nothing like starting the day on the beach, watching the sun come up over the Gold Coast, to make you glad you’re alive. it’s just a beautiful, peaceful thing to do … the day is so quiet, whether it’s at the beginning or the end … and looking up at the sky really gives you that moment of Zen. 

Sunrises and sunsets are actually incredibly hard because that window of opportunity is so small. There’s always that one moment that’s so much better than the others. Lately I have been capturing some amazing colours because we have more aerosols in the atmosphere — caused by things like smoke or dust that scatter the light — combined with quite stable conditions. We’re seeing inversions in the lower levels of atmosphere and mid to high level cloud that really show off the scattered light.

We were up early with 750 people who were waling 35km across the Gold Coast to participate in The Bloody Long Walk, a national fundraising initiative for the Mito Foundation.

Strapping on their sneakers whilst being waived off by the Federal Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell MP, participants walked for over 7 hours, nearly 47,000 steps, from Miami all the way through to Broadbeach. The Gold Coast community was unbelievable with their support of the Mito Foundation and The Bloody Long Walk, which is one of ten Bloody Long Walks taking place across Australia over the next few months. Mito is a debilitating genetic disorder that robs the body’s cells of energy. It can cause multiple organ failure and potentially death, and can affect anyone at any age. The funds generated from The Bloody Long Walk will support Australian families whose lives have been rocked by Mito. They will also go towards vital research and education.

We took some start photos at Pizzey Park, Miami and cheered the participants on their scenic 35-kilometre course towards Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin before heading back up the coastline to Broadbeach.  During the walk, there were 5 Checkpoints providing water, fruit and sunscreen, ensuring that each participant made it to the finish line. We first helped out at Checkpoint 3 at Martin Sheils Park. The park commemorates former mailman for the district, Martin Sheils, who also provided a passenger and grocery order service from 1922 to 1946. Once most participants passed through we move onto Checkpoint 5, then onto the Finish Line. It was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day, along with great support crowd that encompassed all ages and backgrounds.

It was a great way to tour the Gold Coast while supporting a worthy cause. With our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering have been enormous. Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for the volunteer. The right match can help you to find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career.

Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. While it’s true that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day. Giving in even simple ways can help those in need and improve your health and happiness.

It was a fantastic day, perfect weather and we enjoyed ourselves. The walkers certainly enjoyed having the volunteers company. There have been so many comments praising the volunteers on Facebook

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