The George gives back
As part of our 15-year anniversary celebrations, The George Institute recently held two events.
On Sunday 21 September, 19 team members “Jogged For George” by competing in the half marathon, family fun run and nine-kilometre bridge run for the 2014 Blackmores Sydney Running Festival.
One of the largest charitable runs in Australia, the bridge run started at Bradfield Park in Milsons Point, travelled over the Harbour Bridge and finished up at the Sydney Opera House.
Professor Chris Maher - the number one lower back pain researcher in the world - led the pack, completing the bridge run in a brilliant 32 minutes and finishing the race 22nd overall.
The initiative raised over $14,000 towards a TGI Staff Scholarship, and TGI has committed to matching the funds raised by the Jog For George team.
On Friday 10 October, 28 staff members volunteered their time to team up with Rough Threads - a grassroots project that transforms community spaces into festivals for the disadvantaged - and sorted through mountains of clothing donations for a festival the following morning.
Rough Threads was formed by Carrie Deane, who recently joined TGI as Global Development Manager.
One of the many elements of the Rough Threads events is creating a free temporary department store, where the homeless, families seeking asylum and refugees can choose quality second-hand clothing and shoes, which tailor to their style and taste. The events are all about restoring dignity and bringing the community together.
Both events were a huge success, and fantastic feedback was received from staff.
TGI is world ranked for its research, and its focus is improving the health of millions of people worldwide. By holding regular volunteer events, we aim to positively impact our local community, and to internally foster and promote the ethos of giving among our staff and researchers.
Click here to find out more about the Rough Threads
Click here to find out more about The Blackmores Running Festival