John Gorman presenting Phil Smith from Gundagai CanAsisst with donation of a $1160 raised by the Mini Trek team fundraiser at the Criterion Hotel.
The Big Dog 9k9’s annual Mini Trek kicked off in Gundagai last Friday morning, led and organ-ised by John Gorman, Owners of the 9k9 Big Dog.
The four-day trek started at Gundagai’s ANZAC Park and then continued on to Thredbo, Moruya, and finished in Huskisson, stopping in various small country towns along the way, all while raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The 9k9 Mini Trek, which started over 20 years ago, is an event run ahead of the Outback Car Trek each year, where funds are raised for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The Mini Trek brought approximately 109 adults and children to Gundagai on Thursday night, ahead of the Rally, where they met at the Criterion Hotel to raise much needed funds for CanAssist Gundagai, with the event raising $1160.
On Friday morning trekkers then gathered in ANZAC Park to begin the trek, with a breakfast catered for by the GHS Express – Gundagai High School’s Year 11 and 12 hospitality students, and Mickey from EA Tout & Co.
Leanne Lanham, John Gorman, Grace Smith, Sue Gorman.
John Gorman, Event Organiser, said the event brought a fair amount of money in to Gundagai due to the amount of people who were in town for the Trek.
“Everyone stayed in the motels in Gundagai, filled up their cars in Gundagai and dinner and breakfast was eaten in town before we left so there would have been a few dollars injected in to the community, as well as the $1160 we fundraised for Gundagai on the Thursday night,” John said.
John said the Mini Trek stops in small country towns during the journey, to boost revenue in local businesses. This year they stopped in Batlow, Talbingo, Cabramurra, Khancoban, Nimmitabel, Captains Flat and Majors Creek.
“Everyone is eating in the small towns and we stop and we have a beer, and it injects new money in to the little towns,” John said.
The Mini Trek began when John and his mates would take their cars out for the weekend in preparation for the Outback Car Trek, and it has just grown bigger each year.
The official Outback Car Trek has raised in excess of $35 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service over the past 35 years. The Outback Car Trek is about having fun, travelling the country, boosting economies and tourism of the towns visited and raising money for the Royal Flying Doc-tor Service.
-Emily Flint
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