29 December 2004

The Office of Gas safety is today offering paddlers in the Red Cross - Herald Sun Murray Marathon a special refuelling offer.  The glorious smells of a barbecue will greet paddlers as they arrive in Echuca at the end of the third day of the event.

Paddlers and land crew also have the opportunity to win a brand new barbecue at the finish line where the Office of Gas Safety will give away a BBQ to the winner of a gas safety quiz designed to educate competitors and their crews about key gas safety issues.

The Office will target the mobile tent city that travels along with the Marathon, which is made up of 750 paddlers and 3000 support crew, most of whom camp along the way, using gas bottles to cook and for lighting.

The Echuca Red Cross catering team will cook the BBQ to practice their catering skills in preparation should they be activated during a bushfire or emergency. 

Australian Red Cross provides catering during times of emergency and disaster and is often called upon to feed emergency service personnel during these times.  For example Red Cross catering teams provided over 100,000 meals to during the North East bushfires in 2003.

The Red Cross Murray Marathon is an important fundraiser for the Australian Red Cross, Victoria, supporting these vital emergency and community services.

The longest flat-water canoe race in the world, the race covers 404km of the Murray River in Victoria. The event starts in Yarrawonga on December 27 and finishes in Swan Hill on December 31. 

-ENDS-