From feeling helpless to empowered, Mt Colah local runner Hazel O’Halloran will run from Hornsby to Manly on Sunday 23 April to raise funds to support community women’s shelters in both suburbs and highlight the desperate need for North Shore women’s crisis care.
“Domestic violence affected people close to me and every day news reports feature terrible stories of violence against women,” said Hazel. “Inspired by a good friend, I decided to make a difference. My idea was to do a run between two of the North Shore’s key women’s shelters at Hornsby and Manly to highlight the plight of women affected by domestic violence and the lack of local crisis accommodation.”
“My ’Run to Shelter’ fundraiser has been planned for well over a year and I am relishing the goal of running the challenging Hornsby to Manly 35km course. The last 10 kms from The Spit to Manly is really tough, especially given I’m recovering from injuries.”
The Hornsby Ku-ringgai and Manly Women’s Shelters are community funded and run – without any government assistance. Close to a million dollars is needed each year to keep their doors open. While each shelter provides a 24/7 caseworker, food and accommodation, a team of shelter volunteers work tirelessly without taking a cent to provide everything else needed to keep the shelters running.
“We aim to empower women in crisis to create a better future for themselves,” comments Sallianne McClelland, President of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter. “After staying with us, 85% of our clients are able to turn their lives around but it’s heartbreaking we need to turn away on average 5 women a week due to our limited resources.”
It is easy for locals to support Hazel’s run. Go to https://give.everydayhero.com/au/team-run-for-shelter to pledge a tax-deductable donation. You can even choose to support the shelter closest to your home.
“We are looking forward to celebrating with Hazel at the finish line on Manly’s Corso on Sunday 23 April,” says Julia Lever, President of Manly Women’s Shelter. “She’s going to receive an incredible welcome!”
One of the first donations received for Hazel’s ‘Run For Shelter’ was from Hazel’s employer Adams Pluck, Patent and Trademark Attorneys at Hornsby.
