Charities Luke Supports
“I’m doing it to inspire the kids, if they see a regular guy can follow impossible dreams they can be inspired to do the same I guess...”
NOVo, ANtARTICA
Novolazarevskaya (Novo) is the location of the Antarctica Intercontinental Marathon ™, the first marathon of the 2019 World Marathon Challenge ®. The Antarctica Intercontinental Marathon will be held on January 31st at Novo’s aircraft ice runway.
Luke will be raising money in this leg of the challenge for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation to support Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation has a vision to ensure that every child - now and in the future - can access world-class medical care whenever they need it.
They also invest in research that will change and save more lives in the future. By discovering better ways to diagnose, treat or prevent childhood disease and injuries, we also help generations of children to come.
Cape Town, Africa
Cape Town is the location of the second marathon during the 2019 World Marathon Challenge®. The Africa Intercontinental Marathon will be held on February 1st at Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town, South Africa and Luke will be raising money for SONY Foundation.
Sony Foundation partners with existing charities as well as initiating a number of unique campaigns, all of which aim to offer solutions to some of the problems young people in Australia face today. These include severe illness, drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, disability and displacement.
Sony Foundation currently has four major charity partnerships and campaigns:
You Can – A national youth cancer campaign started in partnership with CanTeen
Children’s Holiday Camp Program
Youth Off The Streets
Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD) – An Australian charity that is changing young lives through music
Perth, Australia
Perth, Australia is the location of the Australia Intercontinental Marathon ™ and the third marathon during the 2019 World Marathon Challenge ®. The Australia Intercontinental Marathon will be held on February 2nd at Burswood in Perth, Australia. Luke will be raising money for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance provides family-centred therapies, life skills programs, equipment and support for people and their families living with cerebral palsy and other neurological and physical disabilities.
At Cerebral Palsy Alliance their priority is to help babies, children, teenagers and adults living with neurological and physical disabilities lead the most comfortable, independent and inclusive lives possible. Their therapy teams work with individuals and families to maximise their participation in the community.
The Cerebral Palsy Alliance operates from 112 sites throughout metropolitan, regional and rural NSW and the ACT.
Luke aims to raise money for the Babies At Risk Program. This year, Cerebral Palsy Alliance has committed to helping 160 new babies diagnosed with cerebral palsy or identified as being ‘at-risk’ of cerebral palsy via the Early Response Therapy Team, providing critical early intervention therapy and support. We expect the demand for this service to increase in subsequent years.
Providing early intervention at this time will not only have a profound effect on the lives of children and families impacted by cerebral palsy but it will undoubtedly reduce the lifetime healthcare cost of these individuals on the already strained healthcare system.
The cost for Cerebral Palsy Alliance to conduct this early intervention therapy program, for which no government funding support is available, is $5,250 per baby.
Each baby we support with this program will receive 30 hours of intensive therapeutic support, from the age of 12 weeks old. Including but not limited to physiotherapy, occupational therapy and feeding support – utilising the brief window of neuroplasticity each baby has (the time during which the brain has ability to change).
DUBAI,ASIA
Dubai, UAE is the location of the Asia Intercontinental Marathon ™ and the fourth marathon during the 2019 World Marathon Challenge ®. The Asia Intercontinental Marathon will be held on February 3rd at The Beach in Dubai, UAE. Luke will be raising money for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Starlight was established in 1988 to brighten the lives of seriously ill children, teenagers and their families. Developed in partnership with health professionals, Starlight’s programs replace pain, fear and stress with fun, joy and laughter. From one Starlight Wish granted 30 years ago, Starlight is now recognised as an integral part of the Australian healthcare system, delivering programs in hospital and community based on principles of positive psychology which create positive emotions, build resilience and develop self-esteem.
There is a Starlight Express Room in every children’s hospital in Australia, with Captain Starlight and Livewire facilitators delivering our programs to kids and teenagers. In the community, livewire.org.au connects sick teenagers remotely, addressing isolation by providing a safe, supportive environment for social interaction and personal development . Starlight also partners with health teams in 64 remote indigenous communities working towards healthier futures for all Australian children.
MADRID, EUROPE
Madrid is the location of the fifth marathon during the 2019 World Marathon Challenge ®. The Europe Intercontinental Marathon will be held on February 4th at the Cafa de Campo Park in Madrid, Spain and Luke will be raising money for Variety Club the Children’s Charity.
Variety – the Children’s Charity supports kids and families who are facing many challenges through sickness, disadvantage or living with Special Needs.
Their work allows kids to gain mobility, to get out and about in the community, to communicate, achieve independence and increase their self-esteem. They make sure the kids who miss out, can always join in.
At Variety they believe every kid deserves a fair go.
SANTIAGO,SOUTH AMERICA
Santiago is the location of the sixth marathon during the 2019 World Marathon Challenge ®. The South America Intercontinental Marathon will be held on February 5th at the Parque Araucano in Santiago, Chile.
Luke will be raising money for Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation to support The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is the largest paediatric centre in NSW specialising in treating seriously ill children. The Hospital provides specialist care for children from around Australia and across the Pacific Rim as well as community education, advocacy for improved child health and ground-breaking research into childhood illnesses, all in a positive, caring and healing environment.
MIAMI, North America
Miami, USA is the location of the North America Intercontinental Marathon ® and the seventh and final marathon during the 2019 World Marathon Challenge ®. The North America Intercontinental Marathon will be held on February 6th at South Beach in Miami, Florida, USA and Luke will be raising money for Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation to support Bear Cottage.
Bear Cottage is the only children's hospice in NSW - a very special place that's dedicated to caring for children with life-limiting conditions. Families who care for a child with a life-limiting condition often do so around the clock for many years.
Bear Cottage’s vision is to create a warm home-like environment, whilst also providing facilities that are state of the art and supportive paediatric palliative care, 24 hours a day with access to some of the best medical resources in the world.