When Guy Sebastian heard about the tragic loss of a young Wagga girl to suicide, he decided it was time to step up and help raise funds to enact change.
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The Australian singer and his best mate Tim Freeburn will trek 500 kilometres from Wagga to Sydney to raise money for mental health assistance.
The walk is estimated to take about 100 hours and they will cover the distance of a marathon each day.
The two friends are aiming to raise enough funds to put 35,000 Aussie kids through the Open Parachute program which focuses on building psychological skills in school aged kids to help prevent youth suicide.
The Sebastian Foundation Step Change was created in honour of a 12-year-old girl from Wagga who took her own life as result of an online bullying incident.
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"We aim to raise much-needed awareness for youth mental health issues and ensure that all young Australians are given the opportunity to develop the psychological skills needed for facing life's challenges from an early age," Mr Sebastian said.
"We need to give kids a mental 'coat of armour' to help them flourish."
According to Hayley Watson, the Founder of Open Parachute, engaging students in open conversations about their feelings is more important than ever.
"The pandemic has placed a lot of stress and uncertainty on young Australians and it is essential that we are teaching each and every one of them the skills they need to thrive," she said.
The Sebastian Foundation's Step Change will take place from March 8, 2022 and Mr Sebastian and Mr Freeburn will walk from Wagga through Goulburn, Mittagong and Casula before finishing at Martin Place in Sydney.
For more information about the initiative, click here.
If reading this story has impacted you in anyway please reach out to on Lifeline 13 11 14 or the Murrumbidgee AccessLine on 1800 800 944.
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