On October 7 and 8 the Billabong Uniting Church in Canning Vale will play host to a 24-hour table tennis event raising awareness and funds to stop human trafficking and exploitation in South East Asia.
Taking place in schools, sporting clubs, community spaces, churches and pubs across the country the Ping-Pong-A-Thon will see 3000 men and boys work up a sweat and become advocates and fundraisers on behalf of exploited young people.
Canning Vale event organiser Cameron Harries said the idea of focusing the event on men was to engage them in activities they normally would not be involved in.
“We’ve found with a lot of fundraising types of things the women are generally fantastic at it and really great where as the blokes are less keen to get involved,” he said.
“By making this a bloke’s only event it really reaches out and gives dads and sons the opportunity to talk about these serious issues as well as have a bit of fun.
“It’s the most fun you can have saving the world.”
Mr Harries said the money raised would go to some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
“These kids are the people who most need our help,” he said.
“I know there’s so many issues going on at the moment and so many great and fantastic causes but I think this really focuses on the people who are in the most desperate need of saving and in desperate need of change to happen.”
The Ping-Pong-A-Thon was started by Melbourne man Adrian Rowse in 2011 as an experiment to try to engage men on issues of trafficking and exploitation.
Fifteen men raised $10,000 to help exploited children and teenagers in South East Asia and it has doubled in size each year.
Given its rapid success since it started Mr Rowse has a big goal for this year’s event.
“This year the event aims to raise a further $400,000 to support the work of nine partner organisations in South East Asia, who are combating issues of human trafficking and exploitation of young people from a range of different angles,” he said.
“Many children in South East Asia are sent by their families to the cities to fend for themselves or to find work and send money back home to support the rest of their family.
“With limited education, no job skills and nowhere to live, most of these young people end up living on the streets and are drawn into the sex industry as a means of survival.”
Participants can sign up to play in three-hour blocks in the 24-hour period.
Funds will go to several not-for-profits working to stop human exploitation.
To register to participate, sponsor or find out more visit pingpongathon.com.
For enquiries about the Canning Vale event call Mr Harries on 0401 787 626.
