(Saturday 31st May)
Each year, my work encourages each employee to do two volunteer days - they have plenty of offers that we can accept or we can choose our own. To have two days of paid volunteer time is a rewarding thing for employees as well as help for those that need our help and time.
I've done various activities for various organisations over the years and this year I have two booked, the first of which was The Long Walk. In fact, the tenth anniversary of the actual long Long walk.
Ten years ago, a very talented and popular (Australian Rules) footballer called Michael Long, walked from Melbourne to Canberra (over 400 miles) to speak to the government on the unfairness and inadequacies around indigenous issues.
One round of each football season is the Indigenous round where it is all about our admiration for the many indigenous players but also the bigger picture. It is a great initiative and well respected.
So each year, the indigenous round and the anniversary of Michael Long's long walk happen on the same weekend.
This year's event was a free event/concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl to celebrate the indigenous folk, Michael Long and the work required for equality.
I did various tasks including carrying thins between venues, giving free water to anyone wh wanted it, collecting donations, tidying up in the VIP area and clearing up at the end of the event. The end of the event is where all the attendees walked from the venue down to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to watch the game between Richmond and Essendon. I didn't attend the game, but it was great watching them go off there.
Other than all the help, I got three rather special photos; one with me and Michael Long, one with me and Dan Sultan and one with me and Casey Donovan. Dan and Casey are two singer/song writers who I hugely admire and go and see when I can - so a thrill to meet them and also to meet Michael Long who I admire for what he stands for. Apparently he was a great footballer, but that was before my Australian time and therefore I never saw him. It was a great day to be part of.
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