[toydreamer]

Hello wonderful, wonderful generous people,

Three friends and I will be taking part in Oxfam’s annual 100km trail walk which aids thousands of people around the world from the donations received. It begins on Friday 23rd March and we have 48hrs to complete it. For more information about it all please check out this link ….

http://www.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/mel ... index.html

.... or if you want a brief run down here is just a brief example on what these donations can achieve.

$20 can buy five household gardens in Cambodia, improving diet and decreasing the chances of malnutrition.
$35 can pay for materials to build a public well in Sri Lanka, providing fresh water for 20 to 30 families.
$40 can go towards education on HIV and Aids in South Africa.
$70 can make safe water gravity fed systems in Laos
$100 helps volunteer carers in Mozambique and Zimbabwe assisting remote villagers
$1500 can buy a school well helping hundreds of kids improving health and education.

For interest sake the money is broken down to : 4% is spent on admin. 15% spent on fundraising and promotion. 81% spent on campaigns and programs.

If you are interested in sponsoring me and my team (anything will do) you can help out the needy by donating online (via credit card), here ….

http://www2.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/Melbourne/team/233

You'll need to pick the Oxfam Melbourne TrailWalker.
Our team number is 233 and we’re called "Already Knackered".

Even the smallest donation is welcome. Also remember that you can use the donation as a tax deduction - official receipts will be emailed to you.

Thanks for your time.

Cheers

Andrew Grigor (AKA toydreamer)

P.S. If someone donates I'll publish some photos in the photo section. More than likely the photos will be of me at the first aid station.

[eggie smurf]

This sounds great, Andrew -- good luck!! I have walked two marathons to raise money for arthritis....not sure if I could do 100km in 2 days though so I really admire you all for that

[Rachel]

That is a wonderful thing to be doing Andrew, goodluck.

[toydreamer]

Thanks for the support guys.

Marathons are fantastic. Would love to do one

100km's does seem far, but i try not to think before i sign up for things like this.

[Pitufo]

Good luck ANDREW!!!!!!!!!100 km

[Nivid]

Good for you Andrew.

I have been wanting to do, The Walk for MS. You have inspired me to do so.



Thanx

[Guest]

Andrew ! Rather you than me, but its all for a good cause, so credit to you

[Syd Smurf]

Good luck with it Andrew......I am getting used to walking again without a car but nothing like this.

Let us know how it goes

Dyar

[SA Smurfette]

Good on you , Andrew

Hope you have a good time with your mates, sounds like you'll be spending plenty of time with each other

I'll sort out a donation in the next few days

[Bunno Smurf]

100 what???

Ok I am suitably impressed. Hope it goes well for you and you get a lot of support. Sounds like a worthwhile cause.

[toydreamer]

I'm back! The following is a bit of a wrap up of the event. I got through the whole thing, some would say it was through grit and determination whilst others may say it was for fear of the ribbing i might get if i didn't.

------

Just a round of thanks to all of you who donated and supported our efforts in the Oxfam 100km event for 2007. Looks like we've raised somewhere around $2500, but late donations could bump us up even higher. Amazing effort by all you people who donated and going to a really worthwhile cause. You're all amazing, generous, kind hearted and heaps of other superlatives.

The event kicked off on Friday morning at 10am with the forecast for a bright sunny day of 37C! It did reach those temperatures for most of the day, but relief was in sight in the evening when it down poured for about an hour and then was backed up by constant rain for the next 24 hours. A tough event quickly became tougher.

Only 2 of the team, myself and another - Jeff, managed to complete the course. The other two pulled out on day one - one around 4pm and the other around 9pm. Of course we showed great care and consideration for the fallen and threw them into the undergrowth to prevent other walkers tripping over them.

First day saw us walking from 10am to around 1.30am to cover the first 60 km. We then had a thoroughly restful 4 hours sleep before trudging off again at 7am and completing the remaining 40km of the course - getting in around 5.30pm that afternoon.

All through the journey we had a brilliant individual, Aicha, providing support, setting up tents, cooking dinner, etc. Couldn't have done it without .

A thoroughly enjoyable experience. Tiring, but worthwhile. Will be back again next year!

Have to say that all your encouragement and donations help inspire me to finish.

Cheers

Andrew
Team: Already Knackered.

P.S. If you read all the way through this you'd probably qualify for the 100km for next year.

[Tojo]

Congratulations on completing the course & for collecting so much money Andrew That's a great achievement

[eggie smurf]

P.S. If you read all the way through this you'd probably qualify for the 100km for next year.

I read through the whole thing That is a fantastic accomplishment, Andrew...If you need another walker for next year, lemme know I wouldn't quit like your other two walkers (but that's just out of fear of being tossed in the undergrowth in Australia )

[Rachel]

Hi Andrew, Thanks for letting us knw how you got on. It really does sound like one hell of an event but you did so well raising so much money, I am sure you felt so thrilled to have finished.

I was thinking of you on the weekend as it was also the Passion weekend and one where I had to go to work.


Congratulations.

[SA Smurfette]

Congratulations Andrew, you've made us so proud

What a great achievement