Category: Events

Good Blokes Society Walk for 24

Good Blokes raising money for grieving kids

Posted on | by Adam Blatch

Building relationships with Good Blokes, giving to charity partners (like us), and pounding the pavement to raise money to send grieving kids to camp. Now that sounds like a bunch of Good Blokes!

Our friends at Good Blokes Society are doing the Ozwide Carbon Good Blokes Walk for 24, walking 24 hours for men’s health with fundraising proceeds going to their charity partners, including Feel the Magic, and the GBS Members Wellness Fund.

Over the course of the coming months, they are hoping to raise $75,000 for Feel the Magic to send 50 kids to camp in Victoria next year.

Good Blokes Society walk the walk for men to be open and honest when discussing mental health and wellness. Good Bloke Society provides a range of safe and secure platforms for men to create and develop their social and business relationships.

Feel the Magic CEO Adam Blatch recently caught up with Good Blokes Society Founder Shaun Wallis to find out more about the organisation, the Walk for 24 event, and the amazing fundraising efforts of their members and donors.

Read a snippet of their chat below or listen to the full interview here.

Adam Blatch, CEO Feel the Magic chats to Good Blokes Society Founder Shaun Wallis

What does Good Blokes Society do?

We bring men together to create positive business and social relationships, with a strong and holistic approach to all sorts of men’s health, mental health, and any challenge a male might go through in life. We are a community of good blokes that just want to support each other, enjoy our passions, and help each other where we can.

How do you plan on raising $75,000 for Feel the Magic?

We run lots of different events where we talk about our charity partners, about fundraising, and we run auctions and raffles. We were introduced to Feel the Magic by some of our longer-term members and it is an organisation doing wonderful things, so we are more than happy to grow a relationship with Feel the Magic and contribute to funding a camp next year. We are also doing a walk for 24 hours for Feel the Magic and other charity partners next week.

How did you decide to partner with Feel the Magic?

Relationships is the short answer. We are a relationship business and as I say to members “the more you put in, the more you get back”. Being at some Feel the Magic events, and as a father of two young kids, I felt the magic you create and heard some of the stories that some of the kids have related to. That is the purpose to support Feel the Magic.

What is a highlight of a fundraising experience you’ve had so far?

A highlight has probably been the Good Blokes Walk for 24. After such a disastrous period which was caused through the pandemic for a business that is face to face and built on connection, there was uncertainty about whether this business can grow or flourish.

It was after the third lockdown or so that I decided to go and walk for 24 hours to raise money and awareness. Other members joined, creating a bond with those guys, the support from members and the amount of donations we raised was a highlight of what was a difficult year. I thank COVID for that now and it is now in its third year.

We thank Good Blokes Society for their partnership with Feel the Magic to help us support more grieving kids and teens. Find out more about them here.

Photo credit the Good Blokes Society.

Melissa Wu Feel the Magic Ambassador

Melissa Wu joins Feel the Magic as Ambassador and 1-in-20 Challenger

Posted on | by Adam Blatch

Australian Olympic and World Champion medalist Melissa Wu joins Feel the Magic as Ambassador and takes on the 1-in-20 Challenge!

Melissa has faced many challenges throughout her life and career but none as tough as losing her younger sister Kirsten. Melissa experienced bereavement after her sister died 8 years ago. Melissa said “it something that never goes away, you just learn to live it with it, and it’s made me really value the things that are important in my life. I guess I just learnt how to make every day count”.

At a Feel the Magic Family Day Camp this year Melissa said, “I am here to help kids, share my story and hopefully they take away something from my journey.”

Melissa Wu Ambassador, Feel the Magic

We are proud and privileged to welcome Melissa to our FtM community and excited that Melissa will join us to raise money for grieving kids this October in the 1-in-20 Challenge.

If you would like to donate to Melissa’s 1-in-20 team, CLICK HERE.

What is the 1-in-20 Challenge?

The Challenge is to walk or run 120km this October to help fund Camps for the 1 in 20 kids left behind after the devastating loss of their Mum or Dad.

1-in-20 Challenge helps fund free camps for bereaved children

In a media statement released 15 September 2022, Adam Blatch, CEO, Feel the Magic said, “The 1-in-20 fundraising challenge is one of the most important events for Feel the Magic because, thanks to all the participants every year, we are able to run our highly successful and life changing camps for bereaved children – all free for families who need this support.

“It is through our Camps that kids are taught practical and healthy coping strategies to help them through their grief. Since we launched Camp Magic in 2015, Feel the Magic has helped grieving kids rebuild their confidence and self-respect through connecting with other kids just like them and finding a place where they feel safe to face, feel and heal in their grief. Raising $1,500 will sponsor a grieving child to go to Camp Magic and that’s an opportunity to change a kid’s life.

Camps can be life changing for kids and parents

Kelly Drover’s son, James has attended Camp Magic and Kelly herself has been a mentor to other grieving children at previous camps. Kelly says, “Feel the Magic will change your life and make you realise you’re not alone on this journey. You are part of a family who supports you and helps you to live with your grief. The biggest thing for him [James] was to be around other kids who just get it…[At camp] he was in this safe space with other kids that, even if it was unspoken, there was just this connection”.

Taking on the Challenge during October Mental Health Awareness Month

Adam Blatch further said, “October also happens to be Mental Health Awareness Month which is a good reminder for all. Childhood bereavement can lead to a life-time of mental health challenges if not supported with programs and strategies like what we teach the kids at Camp. And we know how much exercise and fresh hair can help with mental health. I encourage people to sign up to the 1-in-20 challenge, do it for your own mental health as well as to help Feel the Magic on our journey and commitment to helping grieving children to reach their full potential without the devastating effects that childhood bereavement can have.”

Feel the Magic 1-in-20 challenge

The 1-in-20 Challenge is back!

Posted on | by Michelle Wright

We’re inviting you to join our 1-in-20 Challenge this October – its just the excuse to take a break, get active in the outdoors and support others in our community.

What Is The 1-in-20 Challenge?

The challenge is to walk or run 120km this October to help fund Camps for the 1 in 20 kids left behind after the devastating loss of their Mum or Dad.

In Australia, just over 300,000 children will lose a parent before they reach the age of 18. To put this into perspective, there is most likely a child grieving the loss of a parent in every class at school.

Based on these statistics, we all know a family struggling with grief. Those families deserve support and we’re here to help.

In fact, we can all help!

Walk or run 120km for grieving kid and families, or if 120km is more than challenge for you, start by aiming to raise just $1 for every km you walk or run, or set yourself a $120 goal… but the sky is the limit!

Last year some teams and individuals raised over $3,500!

Together, we can fund Camps, research and resources to help grieving kids heal – we’ll also give our own mental and physical health a boost by getting outside and getting active.

3 Easy Steps To Sign Up

Signing up is easy.

  1. Set up your profile as an individual or as a team and invite others to participate.
  2. Tell your colleagues, family and friends and ask for donations
  3. Feel good knowing every step your take will change the lives of grieving kids.

Plus, take these three easy steps to sign up before 1 October for your chance to win $500 worth of Havok Athletic activewear!

Sign up now! And the next time you feel like skipping that run or walk, you can push through, knowing you’re changing lives with every step.

The City-to-Surf is back!

Posted on | by Adam Blatch

Join the SDG-Feel the Magic team today for the early bird discount and start your fundraising to help SDG reach its goal of $50,000! The C-2-S is one of Sydney’s iconic events and loads of fun!

Date: Sunday 14th August 2022

Click here to sign up: https://city2surf22.grassrootz.com/feel-the-magic/feel-the-magic-sdg

Instructions for the FTM website it’s a 2x Part or 2x Step process:

Part 1 – 

  • Click “Register Now” to join the team
  • Sign up to join as “individual”
  • Select “part of a group”
  • Type in Feel the Magic – SDG to find our team
  • Password for the team is FTMSDG2022
  • Enter YOUR details & medical info
  • Do not select extras or merchandise (SMS allowed only)
  • We will then pay your registration fee and provide a singlet at a later date along with your race bib/number
  • Answer all questions then you are finished Part 1.

Part 2 – 

  • Click “Start Fundraising” 
  • Then set up your fundraising platform with Grassroots (previously Everyday Hero)
  • Set your goal $$$
  • Answer all questions and then you are finished Part 2. 

Tips: Now post on social media often and honestly:

  • Tell your story
  • Talk about your training or prep
  • Post photos 
  • Talk about why you support FTM
  • Aim high talk about your goal
  • Update people on your progress (both training & $$)
  • Smash your goal by posting often, use humour, ask directly, send an email

Anyone who simply wants to donate just clicks the bottom button “Make a donation” and they can find an individual this way or our team https://city2surf22.grassrootz.com/feel-the-magic 

A fantastic documentary for our partner Erebus on Fox

Posted on | by Adam Blatch

AN EIGHT-PART documentary series following one of Supercars’ most popular teams, Erebus Motorsport, will debut on Wednesday 2 March on Fox Sports.

Access All Areas: Erebus Motorsport was filmed across a remarkable two-year period covering the 2020 and 2021 Supercars Championship seasons and goes places no behind-the-scenes documentary has gone before.

Access All Areas commences with cameras embedded within the team in the thick of the contest at the 2020 Adelaide 500, as Erebus pushes to join Supercars’ elite as regular winners.

With unfiltered access to drivers’ David Reynolds and Anton De Pasquale both at and away from the circuit, the documentary then charts the unprecedented 2020 season as the team negotiated the Covid-19 Pandemic and the border closures throughout the year.

As if that wasn’t enough, cameras were there when the team underwent significant change prior to the 2021 season: Reynolds and De Pasquale departing the team to be replaced by an all-rookie squad comprised of young-guns Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki.