Are you ready for some muddy fun? We know you probably spend your days trying to keep the muck and mud out and away from you (especially after the kids have spent the day outside ‘exploring’ nature). But, this time getting muddy is for a good cause!
Australia’s Miss Muddy female-only obstacle and mud race is partnering with the McGrath Foundation to raise $2 million for the support of women with breast cancer.
The money raised will fund one specialised breast cancer nurse in each participating location for three years. “The McGrath Foundation is such a worthy charity who do so much for the community,” says Miss Muddy director, Adam McDonald. He goes on to say, “Each year more than 15,000 women in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer. We really want to support them by increasing the numbers of breast cancer nurses.”
How will these nurses help breast cancer patients?
Well, not only do the nurses provide patients with physical support, but they also offer the emotional and psychological support that women with breast cancer need throughout the course of their treatments. The McGrath foundation has been placing nurses with breast cancer patients since 2005 and has helped 40,000 families through this challenging time.
The Miss Muddy event includes a 5 km slipping, sliding, run/walk and climb through the mud-soaked obstacle course. The event started in 2014, and has raised more than $300,000 for charities so far. But don’t worry if you’re not a marathon runner! The course is designed to be challenging for women of all fitness levels. It’s not timed, and you don’t have to complete every obstacle (although you may want to — especially with the help of your teammates).
Miss Muddy’s 2016 schedule is:
- Perth – April 30 & May 1
- Darwin – July 23
- Cairns – August 20
- Brisbane – September 24 & 25
- Sydney – October 29
The Perth and Brisbane events include two days of muddy fun! Participants 18 and over are invited to the Saturday party, which features DJs and foam cannons. Sunday events include family fun for girls ages 13+ along with Obstacool – a short obstacle course for children ages 5 through 12. The Darwin, Cairns and Sydney events will include the 18 and over Saturday party only.
To reach the total goal, each site must raise $380,000 through the race events. Plus along with the funds raised during the Miss Muddy races, participants are also encouraged to create GoFundraise pages. McDonald notes, “If just half of the participants set up a GoFundraise page and collect a minimum of $10, we’ll reach our target in each city.”
Not only is McDonald urging participants to fundraise for the charity, but he personally hopes to be the biggest donator.
So, grab your girls and head out to the Miss Muddy events nearest to you! It’s a fantastic opportunity to have a muddy good time, but it’s also a great way to support women facing the challenges of breast cancer. When else can you hang with your friends, run through mud, get as dirty as you please and help others?
If you reckon this is your kind of day out, then go ahead and click on the Miss Muddy website for details and information on individual events and registration.
