In a previous news article, we began telling the story of the first edition of the Walk for the Trees event, which happened from March 27 to 30. In this article, you’ll be able to read about the final two days of this journey.
Mark Allaway and Ken Fox, with the help of Jill Lancashire, walked from Woodend to Redesdale, their final destination.
On their third day, Mark and Ken went from Woodend to Sandy Creek. They started early at 7 am, local time, having covered 30km in around 9 hours. Mark tells us that Barry (his dog) joined the walking crew for 1km!
It started with a beautiful sunrise shared with us by Mark:
Everything went according to plan, so, on the fourth day, the team reached their final destination, Redesdale, completing their 90km journey.
Post-walk impressions
After a very successful event, Mark shares that he is willing to organize another similar walk next year, on a bigger scale.
He says: “Overall, Jill and I are thrilled about the outcomes and the way things went during the whole process.”
Mark also comments that the donations far exceeded his expectations. With the help and generosity of 71 donors, we could raise over AUD 4.5 thousand!
The amount raised was split 50/50 between Global Tree Initiative and Atisha Center Bendigo to help both organizations continue their activities.
Our partner, Atisha Center Bendigo, was recently featured in one of our success stories, telling the story of 10 Sweet Bursarias recently planted by our Australian community and friends.
Like Mark and Jill, we are very happy and grateful for the outcome of the Walk for the Trees 2023 event. If the opportunity arises to organize another edition next year, we will be here to offer our support!
If you are interested and would like to learn more, follow the Global Tree Initiative Australia group on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date. You are also invited to reach out to Mark and Jill directly.
A note of appreciation
A very big THANK YOU to Mark and Jill for covering all the expenses for this event. We understand that while raising the funds, you also had expenses such as train tickets, petrol, food, drinks, and medications (pain relief), over the four days, and several trips to Bendigo to shuffle tents and gear.
We appreciate everything you are doing to help the Global Tree Initiative and everyone involved!
Thank you to all donors
A total of 71 generous donors made this event possible, having raised AUD 4,555. Thank you so much to all that took part (apart from the name listed below, another 15 anonymous donors contributed for the success of Walk for the Trees 2023)!
| Alison & Nigel | Denis Marsh | Jillian Lancashire | Nigel Hungerford |
| Andy Melnic | Di Parsons | Joanne Keith | Norman Morris |
| Anne Murray | Diane Gee | Katarzyna O’Lone | Pam Gaulke |
| Anrich Bester (2) | Frances Rowley | Kathi Edwards | Pauline Walden |
| Anthony Carroll | Frank Brock | Kathy Rice | Peter Korevaar |
| Atisha Meditation Centre | Gail Combe | Ken Fox |
Phillip Allaway (2)
|
| Belinda Nickeas | Gail Haig | Lee L | Ronda Rodwell |
| Ben Bowman | Gianantonio Tomaselli | Liam Egerton | Sally Colson |
| Beth Michon | Helena Manos | Lucy Allaway | Shaelah Fox |
| Beverley Lancashire-Judd | Huyen Vo (2) | Mark Allaway (2) | Stephen Woods |
| Brent Jones | Jack Allaway | Mary James | Stephie Brennan |
| Brian Ashen | Jacqueline Barnes | Michelle Mason | Tanya Simmons |
| Chag Tong Chen Tong Centre | Jan Stewart | Nev & Brig Moore | Trish Nichols |
| Claire Eliza King | Jeanne-Marie Penne | Nicole Moore | William Power |
How inspiring Mark, Ken, Jill and the whole team of supporters are! A truly meaningful event.
Stephie