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MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Walk Festival 2025
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Melinda Wu, Mayor Brad Bunting and Chris Barton will be taking park in Blacktown’ s Walk Festival in April.
by Lorna Gordon
The inaugural Walk Festival 2025 is set to take Blacktown by storm on April 12 – 13, inviting businesses, schools, families, and individuals to take part in an inspiring community event aimed at raising funds for youth mental health. With a goal to raise $ 150,000 for local charity, BREED and their youth mental health workshops in Western Sydney, the event offers multiple ways to get involved— whether you’ re a seasoned walker, part of a business team, or simply want to enjoy a fun and active weekend.
The idea for the festival came from Chris Barton, founder of Step into Action, who completed a walkathon last year, raising over $ 50,000 for BREED Australia. The success of the walk last year spurred Chris on to make the event bigger and more inclusive this year. At the heart of the festival is the 100K in 24 hours challenge, undertaken by Chris Barton from Step into Action, Olympian, Mellisa Wu and at least four other people who joined Chris last year in his epic walk at the stadium.
The Walking Festival is designed to bring the community together and allow walkers of all abilities to join in. More seasoned walkers can take on the full 100K solo or the 50K team challenge, where businesses and community groups are encouraged to register and divide the distance among their members. For those looking for a more casual way to participate, a 10K community walk will take place on Sunday morning from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM. There’ s also an informal option where anyone can show up, walk for as little or as long as they’ d like, and enjoy the festival’ s vibrant atmosphere.
Beyond walking, the festival will be a celebration of fitness and fun, featuring live performances, dance groups, food trucks, and health-focused activities. The Blacktown Lions Club will be onsite providing a sausage sizzle, while organizations like the Heart Foundation and local podiatrists will offer health checks and wellness tips.
SWR 99.9 FM will be broadcasting live from the event, with radio host Lyndon MC’ ing the opening and closing ceremonies. With entertainment for the whole family, Walk Festival 2025 promises to be a weekend of energy, excitement, and community spirit.
The event has gained strong local support, with Blacktown Mayor Brad Bunting proudly serving as the festival’ s patron. Australian Olympian Melissa Wu has also joined as the Walk Festival Ambassador, bringing her passion for health and fitness to the cause.
“ Blacktown is proud to host Walk Festival 2025, which brings our community together for a cause that truly matters,” said Mayor Bunting.“ This festival highlights the importance of mental health and showcases the strength and unity of our city.”
Melissa Wu echoed these sentiments, stating,“ As an athlete, I’ ve seen firsthand the positive impact that physical activity can have on mental well-being. The Walk Festival is a fantastic initiative that gets people moving while supporting an important cause.”
The festival’ s founder, Chris Barton, has been leading by example, taking on his own walking challenges, including a 365K challenge that involves walking 20,000 steps a day. With his passion and dedication, he hopes to make Walk Festival an annual event in Blacktown, bringing people together to support youth mental health.
Whether you want to walk, donate, or volunteer, there’ s a way for everyone to be part of this incredible event. Visit www. walkfestival. com. au to register, support a walker, or simply turn up on the day and take part.
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WALK INS WELCOME or SCAN TO BOOK A TABLE
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 49 // APRIL 2025 11