Community & Business
16 May, 2023
$5k raised by Mount Peel scavenger hike
The week-long Hike to Heal scavanger hunt/hike held in February at Mount Peel Bushland raised $5,000, which has been donated to Toowoomba-based charity Momentum Mental Health.
Debbie Bailey, CEO of Momentum Mental Health, said the donation will support Momentum’s mission to remove barriers to accessing mental health and wellbeing services in the community.
“This money is pivotal for our organisation to be able to work with anyone who has the courage to put their hand up and ask for help,” she said.
Participants were encouraged to have fun while following clues on the Mount Peel Bushland Reserve to find natural treasures, complete photo challenges, and solve riddles as they walked along the trail.
Wendy Green, Communications and Partnerships Manager at Momentum Mental Health, said she personally completed the Hike to Heal with a couple of her fellow team members and their young families.
“We immediately saw the benefits of walking and chatting and discovering new things along the trail, which we were encouraged to do via clues provided by the Hike to Heal participant pack,” Ms Green said.
A special addition to the hike was the Tribute Tree, made by the West Toowoomba Men’s Shed.
It allowed participants to dedicate their walk to a loved one or offer words of encouragement by writing on the tree’s leaf-shaped memory tags.
Hike to Heal aims to add value to the community by raising awareness about and destigmatising mental health and suicide.
It was founded by Vale View residents Linda and Jim Barton who lost their son Nick to suicide in 2016.
