The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs 96 kilometres overland through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

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The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Japanese and Allied forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua.

“Our target age range is 15-21 years though if a young person outside that age range would like to participate they should have a chat with us,” said fundraising coordinator Karen Drinan from Clarence Town.

While most participants at this stage are from the Dungog Shire LGA, organisers encourage young people from surrounding LGAs to join in.

“We are hoping Kokoda 25 will be the first of many more adventures to come in following years with the goal of developing young community leaders of the future,” said Karen.

“Conquering Kokoda is so much more than a physical feat – it is one which will teach and embed resilience, leadership and a sense of community for all participants.

“Our young people will come away with a stronger understanding of their place in the world and the belief that they can achieve what they set their mind to.”

Part of the challenge includes raising funds to cover the costs of the young people, which is $7000 per person. “Our participants are out fundraising though we will need some assistance from our local businesses to achieve our fundraising goals through either sponsorship or donation of prizes which we can utilise as raffle or auction prizes or as part of our fundraising activities,” Karen said.

“We understand it is a difficult time for small business right now and we would appreciate any support you could provide – every bit helps.

“We feel this is a really important program to get off the ground and if we can make Kokoda 25 a success, we can build on it for future leadership programs for our young people.”

For more information contact Fundraising Coordinators Karen Drinan (karenadrinan@hotmail.com, 0447027291) or Jim Doyle (jdoyle500@bigpond.com, 0407307800).