Task Force fundraiser for Australia

A combined team from the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian Navies have united to fundraise for the Australian Red Cross Disaster Appeal.

LCdr David Sinclair, Royal Australian Navy ~

Royal Australian Navy personnel deployed to Bahrain on Operation Manitou, within Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), are doing their part for the communities back home affected by the nationwide bushfire emergency.

Although focused on the mission at hand – disrupting terrorist activities in the maritime environment – Australian members, along with Royal Canadian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy, are fundraising for the Australian Red Cross Bushfire Disaster Appeal.

One activity, branded The Kangaroo Hop Home for Charity, has a team of 28 personnel walking, running, cycling or swimming the distance to Australia when the deployment is over. This includes Operation Beaver Bypass for Canadians and Operation Kiwi Drop for the New Zealanders, following the most direct route from Bahrain to Halifax, Halifax to Auckland, and Auckland to Sydney, giving the team a combined total target of 27,022 kilometers to travel.

Each member is required to complete 7.5 km a day in one activity.

“Many members within the CTF 150 team have friends and family back home who are currently living the harsh realities of this bush fire crisis,” said Commodore Ray Leggatt, Commander of CTF 150. “Communities of people are struggling and many of our serving colleagues are working tirelessly to assist those in need. Even though we are deployed on the other side of the globe, we are keen to assist in any way possible.”

The Australian Red Cross has launched a disaster appeal to support communities across Australia affected by the devastating bushfires. The disaster appeal will allow the Australian Red Cross to provide a sustained level of support to evacuees and emergency personnel as efforts transition into the recovery and building phases of this disaster.

The team is attempting to raise a total of $10,000 through this and other fundraising activities such as through direct donations to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief Appeal by the end of March.

CTF 150 is asking for community support through donations via the fundraising page https://fundraise.redcross.org.au/fundraisers/ctf150/fundraise-for-disaster-relief-and-recovery