WALKING through the rainforest with your friends while fundraising for life saving equipment, is the latest initiative of the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
The Audi Arrow Experience will be launched today, with Cairns Hospital director of emergency Dr Richard Stone, Cairns Regional councillor Richie Bates; as well as Foundation fundraising and marketing manager Glenys Duncombe and Audi Cairns owner Alan Ren.
"The idea for the Arrow Experience actually came about during a discussion with a supporter so we've been working on it for a few months now and we're really excited to let the public know to save the date," Ms Duncombe said.
The event will be held on June 17, 2018 with participants given the option of a long or short course and the potential to fundraise selling raffle tickets in a new Audi A1.
"In the first year, numbers will be limited to 300 but we think it's going to be a really popular event," Ms Duncombe said.
Fundraising will go towards the Emergency Department of Cairns Hospital.
"We're actually one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the state so every extra piece of equipment we can buy, can mean we can save more lives more quickly," Dr Stone said. Brunch will be available after the event with barbecues, food and drinks provided by fundraising teams.
"We also are excited to announce that Audi have come on board as the naming rights sponsor, enabling us to call this event the Audi Arrow Experience,"
Ms Duncombe said.
"The event will be fully supported – there will be volunteers and medics at intervals along the way, and at the end of the activity, we'll draw the winner of the Audi," she said.
The new owner of Audi Cairns, Alan Ren, who lives nearby, said he was excited to be involved with both the event and the Foundation.
"We were actually researching the Foundation before we moved up from Sydney and we're really excited to be aligned with this local charity that is keeping funds raised local. With a young family ourselves, we hope we don't need to, but we know the day may well come that we need the local health service," Mr Ren said.
"I have been inspired by the passionate team at the Foundation and look forward to working with them over the coming years to support the Cairns community," he said.
Registrations are open at www.arrowexperience.org.au
