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Building bridges between communities - Kokoda Mateship Trek
On Anzac Day, the group set out on the gruelling 96km trek. Their journey honoured the diggers who fought and died in Kokoda, and reflected their spirit of friendship. Joining the Mateship Trek was President of the Lakemba Sports Club, Dr Jamal Rifi. Dr Rifi was instrumental in establishing a program called ‘On the Same Wave', designed to recruit and train Muslim youth as lifesavers at the Cronulla beaches. Publicity generated from the Kokoda Mateship Trek helped to raise $12,000 for Legacy in its crucial work of assisting the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. The Kokoda Mateship Trek also brought together a range of businesses, community and government organisations as sponsors. They included: Qantas, Leighton Holdings, Servcorp, the NRL, Bankstown Sports Club, Interlink Roads, Bankstown RSL, Cronulla Sutherland District Council of Surf Life Saving, Clubs NSW, Canterbury Leagues Club and the Australian Federal Police. |
Jason and the Liberal MP for Cook, Scott Morrison, organised the Kokoda Mateship Trek as a way of bringing young people from Bankstown and Cronulla together in a place of national significance. It was a way of helping young people from two very different communities to develop a shared understanding of what it means to be Australian.
