{"id":209197,"date":"2018-05-22T02:46:24","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T16:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=209197"},"modified":"2020-08-04T10:13:36","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T00:13:36","slug":"running-the-path-to-reconciliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/05\/22\/running-the-path-to-reconciliation\/","title":{"rendered":"Running The Path To Reconciliation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Leila Graham, 11, from Cherbourg, looked ready to take off at the Reconciliation Fun Run on Sunday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 22, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

About 450 runners and walkers – old and young – travelled the “Reconciliation Road” between Murgon and Cherbourg on Sunday for the fifth annual Reconciliation Fun Run.<\/p>\n

The run is a project of The Ration Shed and a hard-working committee of volunteers.<\/p>\n

Chairperson Sandra Morgan joked that every year they wonder why they do it …<\/p>\n

“It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get it all working … but then every year I stand here and see you all – the runners and walkers, the volunteers, the stall holders, the people from Cherbourg, from Murgon, from the South Burnett and from communities further away – seeing you all her, I know why … and I feel happy and proud,” Aunty Sandra said.<\/p>\n

“I wish to thank all of you who are here today for playing your part in bringing us all closer together, for standing up for peace and harmony in our communities, and for helping to build a brighter future for all the peoples of our wonderful country.<\/p>\n

“This is a beautiful event. It is an event that shows our strengths, our dignity, our humanity.<\/p>\n

“The road from Murgon to Cherbourg is a symbol of a divided past.<\/p>\n

“We hold our Fun Run on this road as an act of Reconciliation. By doing this we say that this road is no longer a symbol of separation and division; we say that it is now a symbol of unity; we say it is a symbol of us going forward together.<\/p>\n

“I say that we should no longer be calling this the Murgon-to-Cherbourg road; we should call it the ‘Reconciliation Road’.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were actually three runs this year … the original 7km route from Murgon Showground to The Ration Shed, plus a 10km run which added a loop in Cherbourg, and a shorter 3km run \/ walk.<\/p>\n

Cherbourg Mayor Arnold Murray said this was the only Indigenous community who organised something like this.<\/p>\n

“We are the only Indigenous community that does a Reconciliation Fun Run. Cherbourg people should be very proud,” he said.<\/p>\n

Uncle Bill Buchanan, from Reconciliation Queensland, said the Fun Run had been named as a finalist in the Queensland Reconciliation Awards. The winner would be announced in Cairns later this year.<\/p>\n

He highlighted a visiting group of students and teachers from Mabel Park State School which had taken part in the run, who represented 17 different cultural backgrounds.<\/p>\n

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