May 14, 2018
More than 100 people donned pink clothing and turned out to Gordon McKell Park next to the Timber Industry Museum in Wondai on Sunday morning to help raise funds for breast cancer research.
They were part of a much bigger group of 100,000 Australians taking part in this year’s Mother’s Day Classic, an annual fun run/walk that has grown over the past 21 years into a national community event held all around Australia.
This year in Queensland, Mothers Day Classics were run in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and in 17 regional locations around the State, including the South Burnett.
The Classic was first brought to the region by the Go Getta Girls running group in the late 2000s.
It was held in and around in Kingaroy’s Memorial Park until last year, when its organisation was taken over by the Kingaroy Nutters running group.
They moved the event to Wondai, partly to take advantage of the (then) soon-to-be-opened South Burnett Rail Trail, and partly to save the mounting traffic control costs of staging the event in Memorial Park.
This year, the Classic had its second Wondai outing and participants travelled from as far afield as Yarraman and Moffatdale to take part.
Gordon McKell Park began to fill up with people soon after 8:00am, and volunteers took registrations for the Classic’s 4km and 8km runs and 4km walk until 8:45am.
This was followed by a short speech about the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation who are the event’s beneficiaries, and then a minute’s silence to remember those who have suffered or passed due to breast cancer.
After this, the Classic got underway with a group warm-up to the sounds of ‘The Macarena’ blasted over a portable PA system.
This year, a small group of about 20 runners tackled the 8km course, followed by a much larger group of about 80 either running or walking the more leisurely 4km course.
Most participants dressed fully (or partly) in pink to show their support for the Breast Cancer Foundation’s research efforts.
Mother’s Day Classic local ambassador Cr Ros Heit said this year’s event was hoping to raise more than $1.8 million across Australia.
Since 1998, the Mother’s Day Classic has raised at least $33.2 million nationally, and more than 1.27 participants have taken part in it.
Together, they have walked or run 6.5 million kilometres, the equivalent of eight return trips to the moon.
Related articles:
- Good Roll-Up For Mother’s Day Classic (2017)
- Pink Powers Breast Cancer Research (2016)
- Mums Just Want To Have Fun (2015)
- Girl Power Hits The Streets (2014)
- A Fun Run Way To Celebrate (2013)
- Girls On The Run On Mother’s Day (2012)
