I said at the start of this year that it is easy to get carried away with the negatives we see in this world and lose track of the good things that happen. A few short months later and I have to admit to having fallen into this trap myself a little. It is easy to do. There is so much selfishness, hatred and deceit before our eyes. But that is not all there is to the human condition. It is easy to forget about our capacity for compassion, generosity and our ability to contribute to great things. So it was timely to be involved in such overt display of the basic goodness in people. The Matthew Millhouse Salute gave a perfect demonstration of people’s willingness to get involved and support a good cause and their collective ability to create a fantastic friendly atmosphere on the day.
The event was intended to raise funds and awareness for the important work the White Cloud Foundation does helping people with depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses. It did so quite successfully, but really benefited from really helpful assistance from a number of groups including Tasmania Police, Kingborough and Hobart Councils, SPECTRAN Traffic management, the SES, St Johns and the 12/40 Royal Tasmania Regiment. The people we interfaced with from each of these organisations could not have been more accommodating. But it wasn’t just the support that was given to the event through donations, fundraising and participation- with some participants coming from interstate as well as Launceston and Burnie (which some people consider interstate)- that reaffirmed my belief in the positive aspects of humanity. It was also the spirit that everyone brought to the day. Most fun runs and triathlons I have been part of have benefited from a really pleasant camaraderie, but Sunday’s event was amazing. There was a true feeling of positive community that I hope will only grow with each year.
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