Fundraising on Ice

During the Australian summer most of us take some time off work to concentrate on the art of relaxation. Most of us.

Not Cheryl Bart. The Chair of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) spent the beginning of January undertaking grueling exercise and fundraising, under the constant risk of dehydration and frostbite, surrounded by about 150km of nothing but white.

While most holidaymakers were more preoccupied with the sting of sunburn than work, Ms Bart arrived in Punta Arenas on the southern tip of Chile, ready to tackle a 150km cross-country ski across the polar plateau to the South Pole.

Apart from the thrill of another adventure (in 2008 Ms Bart and her daughter became the first mother-daughter team to reach the summit of Mount Everest), Ms Bart also used the expedition to raise funds for FARE and Mawson’s Huts Foundation, which conserves the buildings built when Sir Douglas Mawson led the first Australasian Antarctic expedition in 1911.

Ms Bart reached the South Pole on January 14, just seven days after setting off on the skis with her team “Schlepping the Sleds”.

The funding development manager for FARE, Vivien Mitchell, wrote a message of support for Ms Bart on her blog.

“Cheryl is an extraordinary woman. She’s a company director, lawyer and mum, with an indomitable, adventurous spirit,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Raising awareness about alcohol, and its potential impacts and harms, is part of FARE’s mission to ‘change the way we drink’. Alcohol is a big part of Australian culture, and FARE recognises that.

“Our strategic plan (community education and engagement) aims to help people understand that in larger amounts, alcohol can negatively affect mental and physical health,” she said.

“As the ice tinkles in your glass this summer, focus on that ice cube for a moment. Cheryl, her team mates, and the other teams will be living in a world of ice for several weeks – cheers to the courageous and intrepid people who are skiing to the South Pole, and raising money and awareness at the same time. It really is fundraising on ice.”