Boys and men of all ages will be working up a sweat at table tennis venues across Australia - including Young - this October as part of a national fundraiser that will free some of the world’s most vulnerable from sexual exploitation and human trafficking, and challenge men to “man up” when it comes to domestic violence.
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Forty-four venues across Australia will host the 2015 Ping Pong-A-Thon, (www.pingpongathon.com).
Following the success of the first Young event - held last year - where 40 boys and men from the region raised more than $4200, the second Young ‘Pong’ will take place on October 23-24 at Young Baptist Church in Nasmyth Street.
For local organiser Mark Corkery the event fundraiser asks “men to take responsibility and be a part of the solution”.
“As men, lets take some responsibility for the injustices men have caused in the past here and in other countries and be an active part of the solution,” he said.
The event takes place over a 24 hour period.
There will be about 1500 Aussie boys and men as advocates/fundraisers on behalf of trafficked or exploited young people.
Participants commit to play table tennis for a minimum of three hours and engage their family and friends to sponsor their efforts.
Started in 2011 as an experiment to try to engage men on issues of trafficking and exploitation, 15 Melbourne men raised $10,000 to help children and teenagers in South East Asia who are among the most exploited in the world.
In its first four years, the event has raised $200,000 and given men a sense that they can make a significant difference in the world.
Participants were also challenged to consider their own attitudes and behaviors towards girls/women and invited to consider committing to the 'Man Up' pledge.
The pledge speaks of boys and men making a commitment to treat girls and women with respect and dignity, and inviting their mates to challenge them when they get that wrong.
While the event challenges participants to consider these serious issues, fun is also a key focus.
Last year, two students from Keysborough College - Kamol Kin, 16, and Sovandara Tep, 16 - broke the Ping Pong-A-Thon Hall of Fame record for the longest rally exchanged, 9479 consecutive hits in two and a half hours.
Boys and men of all ages are invited to participate by registering online, engaging their friends and family for sponsors and committing to play table tennis for three hours during the event at their preferred location.
Register to participate, sponsor or find out more, visit: www.pingpongathon.com.
For enquiries about the Young event, please contact Mark Corkery on 0427 726 508.
