When his two granddaughters were sexually abused at the ages of three and four Claude Harvey decided it was time to take action.
In 2008 he started to walk from his home base on the Gold Coast to Sydney with his mower to raise money for Bravehearts. Bravehearts is an organisation that provides counselling and support services to victims of sexual assault as well as protection training, education, and reform campaigns to prevent child sexual assault.
Since then he has done walks all around the country and has now raised over $1,600,000 for Bravehearts.
Claude was in Mullumbimby yesterday and will be in Murwillumbah today before making sure he is over the border and home by 1am Saturday morning when the border closes.
‘I’m fundraising for Bravehearts and Yahweh House for pregnant women and babies this time,’ Claude told Echonetdaily.
‘I started this walk on 22 July in Coolongatta and have been through Kingscliff then other little towns to Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shires and Mullum today. On this walk I’ve raised $13,000 and I finish in Murwillumbah tomorrow (Friday, 7 August).’
But that isn’t the end of his walks. He will soon be setting off on a three weeks walk from the Gold Coast to Hope Island.
‘That will be my twenty-first walk on the Gold Coast,’ he said with a smile.
And what is it that keeps this 75 year-old going?
‘My two granddaughters and the Ditto education program at the schools. I was so impressed with the program at the school when it came to my granddaughters school.’
The Ditto Keep Safe Adventure is a program run by Bravehearts that helps young children learn about personal safety from as young as two or three.
Claude is now has a target of raising $2m for Braveheaarts. You can catch hi at the shopping centre in Murwillumbah or you can go online and donate directly to Bravehearts.
He bought a Victa.
Half a mo.
Is this a true story?
And that is how all the verges on the highways go cut.