City2Surf Runners To Strip Down For Smith Family

By Tristan Lal on August 1, 2013 in News

City2Surf participants are encouraged to ditch their duds to support the Smith Family Recycling Operation when the popular fun run gets underway on Sunday, August 11.

Continuing this 10-year tradition, Smith Family volunteers and the Australian Girl Guides will be collecting participants’ clothes as they shed their layers along the City2Surf course.

Smith Family National Manager for Recycling Michael Shea said he hoped this year would be even more successful than the last.

“Last year we received 13 tonnes of clothing, which is around 20,000 items. With 85,000 participants registering for the City2Surf we are really hoping to get 20 tonnes or more this year,” Mr Shea said.

The Smith Family is a national charity that helps disadvantaged children gain access to educational opportunities. This particular recycling operation will donate 83 cents of every dollar raised directly to helping disadvantaged Aussie kids.

So what should runners bring to donate on race day?

Clean, wearable clothing with no rips, stains or tears, new or used, are the most valuable donations. The donated clothing will be sold at Smith Family retail stores and the money raised will be used to aid children in need.

“Basically if you wear it, we can sell it – shirts, hoodies, jumpers, pants and so on. Obviously the better the quality of the item, the more in demand it will be and the more funds we can generate,” Mr Shea said.

Mr Shea said that the money raised would provide opportunities for disadvantaged young Australians that may not otherwise receive.

“Our focus is to help young Aussies in need to get the most out of their education, so they can create better futures for themselves. The more people who donate and the better the quality of the clothing, the more funds we can generate to support our work in the community to help Aussie kids in need,” he said.

The Smith Family works in 97 Australian communities and in the last year their work reached more than 106,000 disadvantaged children and families across the country.

As well as donating your best shirt the community can run and raise funds for The Smith Family at City2Surf or support the charity through volunteering, sponsorship or making a one-off donation.

The City2Surf run began in 1971 and has become an iconic piece of both Sydney and Bondi’s history. The involvement of the Smith Family’s Recycling Operation is now an endearing part of that City2Surf legacy.

“There is a real social, environmental and economic benefit by donating your clothing. The social benefit is basically a result of funds generated for the community. Economically we are trying to get as many funds as possible from the clothing donated. Environmentally we re-use over 75% of what we receive and this reduces landfill volumes and energy used to create new clothing,” Mr Shea said.

Whether you’re running in the race or just showing your support on the day, The Smith Family clothing tradition hopes to see the community peeling their layers off for a good cause. To find out more about the City2Surf visit www.city2surf.com.au.