Another great Adventure! The combination of fantastic women, some 'mountainous weather' with breathtaking scenery, 6 hrs of walking and coming home to a 'Super Supreme' evening of entertainment with the chance to reflect on what Humpty's Hike was all about, made the weekend a very memorable, rewarding one for the ladies. The saying 'girls just want to have fun' is so true, as there were smiles on everyones faces the whole weekend, even whilst doing the hard uphill slog to make it to the top of Mt Kosciusko. There was lots of admiration for the outstanding effort in attention to detail provided by the Humpty Team for making the women feel special to be part of the weekend.
The hike offered challenges for many - whether it was trekking over snow, walking barefoot through the icy Snowy River, the altitude, the long walking distance or the 70kms winds. It was these challenges that reminded the women partaking in Humpty's Hike of the uphill battles facing kids in hospital, as they climb a mountain everyday.
With the Trekbeyond team, everyone managed to make it to the top and the wonderful contribution, commitment and enthusiasm from the women meant that the fundraising total was above and beyond the initial one hundred thousand goal.
As Jane Flemming mentioned at the Celebration Dinner, money raised from 2011 Humpty Hike will be used to fund a Paediatric Fellow at Royal North Shore Hospital for a 12 month period at a cost of $135,000.
Details of the Fellowship are as follows:
This Fellowship is awarded to an outstanding young doctor nearing completion of training to become a Paediatric Specialist. The fellowship provides the platform to gain valuable experience at junior consultant level, a rare opportunity for future Paediatricians' in the public hospital system. Under appropriate supervision the fellow gains experience in providing care at consultant level for sick children and their families, evaluating and improving the quality and safety of this care, and undertaking research and teaching, in addition, as a junior Paediatrician the fellow may take a child health advocacy role.
Humpty's Hike was not just about the weekend or the walk - conquering the highest point in Oz. It was all about the journey - the training walks, the fundraising, meeting wonderful women and the generous support of family & friends. As individuals we felt limited by how much we could contribute but as a collective we have been able to make a significant difference for the kids.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated and supported this wonderful cause.
