Springwood Red Cross branch president Sue Roden is pulling out all the stops this month as she takes part in The Human Race campaign with the rest of her Mountains team.
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Aged between 10 and 80 plus, the team of twelve is keen to do their bit for the Australian Red Cross's main fundraising campaign.
In its second year, the Human Race campaign challenges participants to show how far they can go to help humanity. Participants can run, walk, swim or roll and raise funds their way, in their own time, to help those facing conflict and crisis.
A Red Cross member since 1998, Ms Roden will be helped by trauma teddy Travelling Ted, as she races throughout March. Usually found jetting off with Red Cross members on various adventures, Travelling Ted also joined Ms Roden on COVID bushwalks to lift spirits.
Ms Roden said her team's youngest member will be "getting her steps in on the way to school, and the oldest member is 80 plus".
"We'll do some branch walks and bits over the month of March - everyone will do what they can to support The Red Cross and The Human Race."
Ms Roden said she hopes others in the Mountains might consider joining to support the good cause, "because the [Red Cross] supports everyone".
"I like that their work is guided by the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross Red Crescent movement - humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality."
When the bushfires hit the Blue Mountains in 2013, she said the Red Cross "wasn't just here in the immediate aftermath - they were involved in supporting our community for years afterwards".
The Springwood Red Cross branch has an op-shop and it's a port of call for so many in the community to pop in for a chat, she said.
"Connection is really important and it's good for our community to have somewhere they can go."
Australian Red Cross spokesperson Jason Laufer said the Human Race event is designed to give everyone the chance to do their bit for the less fortunate.
"Unlike most other fun runs or walks we're not asking people to compete against each other or even squeeze all their activity into one day.
"Instead, this March, we'd encourage you to launch your own fitness challenge to raise critical funds to help people and communities cope with disaster, conflict, and isolation," he said.
Open to people of all ages and abilities, donations will go towards vital humanitarian services.
"So often in times of crisis or hardship people contact Australian Red Cross to ask how they can help. The Human Race is a tangible way of contributing [that enables us] to provide practical and emotional support to those impacted by crisis," he added.
Participants can win prizes for their efforts. Visit: https://act.redcross.org.au/event/the-human-race/home
