Local Armidale woman Sarah McFarlane-Eagle will be taking the first step of her 1700km walk from Armidale to Melbourne on Tuesday, May 29. The walk will be Sarah’s fourth long distance walk with ‘Walking Feat’, raising awareness of mental health issues in communities, small and large.
Come to the Goldfish Bowl on Jessie Street at 8am to enjoy a coffee with Sarah and her support team. T-shirts will be for sale with funds raised to help with costs of the walk and events. Sarah will begin her long walk at 9am and welcomes those who wish to walk alongside her for the first couple of kilometres of the journey, departing from the café.
Since her brother’s sudden death several years ago, Sarah realised that many people suffer alone with mental illness, including family members, carers and friends. In an attempt to give meaning to Ben’s death, Walking Feat was started in order to raise awareness, dialogue and hope about treatment, support and recovery options.
Sarah will be speaking at various events in cities and towns along the way, made possible by the generous loan of a van by Joc Coventry in order to provide transportation for the resources and materials for her many public events and talks.
Other community organisations and businesses supporting this walk are New England Community Mutual, Business Enterprise Centre, Carer Assist and Armidale Outdoors as well as many others. A dedicated team of volunteers from towns along the way will take turns driving along the route to Melbourne.
Uralla Lions Club will host a BBQ and Cake Stall Fundraiser later that day, Tuesday, May 29, from 3pm until 5pm, at the RSL Memorial Hall, Salisbury Street. Everyone is welcome to come and meet Sarah.
The Armidale to Melbourne walk will be a three-month long journey passing through the Hunter Valley, Sydney, South Coast and into Victoria until the completion in Melbourne on September 10, where Sarah will hand over to fellow walker, Terra’Mer Lalirra, of ‘The Happy Walk’, to continue the journey in other parts of Australia.
For more information, please visit www.walkingfeat.com or ring 0427 758 229.
