By Eleanor Wilson
After a marathon effort at last year’s Run for the Kids, the Narre Warren CFA’s running fire engine is gearing up for a second lap of the long course in this year’s charity event.
Five members of the Narre Warren CFA and a Berwick CFA member will embark on the 14.5km race around Melbourne’s CBD on Sunday 19 March, raising much-needed funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal.
Bound by more than just camaraderie, the team will set off bright and early from Footscray Road in the 15kg imitation fire truck, which was built from plastic irrigation pipe and shade cloth in the brigade’s “top secret research facility” – volunteer Tony Bundock’s garage.
The truck also features flashing red and blue lights, horns and hoses – technically giving it a limited potential firefighting capacity, Mr Bundock said.
“We’ve been doing some training runs during the week, last year we had a bigger team so our strategy is we’re gonna run on the flat and the downhill and if it’s uphill we might drop back to a jog,” he said.
The team has set a target fundraising goal of $2000 for this year’s fun run and has so far collected $650.
“We’re happy to put in the hard yards, if people can reach into their pockets and give to this great cause,” he said.
Mr Bundock has been participating in the Run for the Kids for team Narre Warren CFA for about a decade and said his dedication to the challenging charity event comes from wanting to help out a worthy cause.
“Most of the team are at an age where our kids are grown up, but we were very lucky that when our kids were smaller it was there if we needed it,” he said.
This year’s Narre Warren CFA R4K team will consist of Mr Bundock and his wife Karen Bundock and fellow volunteers Adrian Jones, Timmothy Oborne, Rob Beard and Anthony Jones.
“We’re hoping it’s not windy on the day – we don’t want to get blown off the Bolte Bridge!”
Funds raised from the event will be donated to the Good Friday Appeal to help provide research, resources, staffing and education to facilitate the very best of care for Victorian children.
To donate to the Narre Warren CFA’s Run For The Kids team, head to runforthekids.gofundraise.com.au/page/NARREWARRENFIREBRIGADERUNNINGFIR
