Rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of hundreds of runners dressed in purple who took part in the Berrinba and Yarrabilba Parkruns on 30 November, raising awareness for domestic and family violence.
Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Browns Plains and Jimboomba, the event aligned with Rotary’s global initiative, Purple Day, which highlights domestic violence issues.
The idea to collaborate with local Parkruns allowed organisers to reach more people, as the established events already attract a strong community following.
Kathleen de Leon from Browns Plains Rotary, along with Lynda Williams and Yumi Koala, played a key role in leading the event.
“As Lynda and I are both involved with Parkruns, we knew the runners would embrace dressing up for a good cause,” Kathleen said.
“It definitely helped amplified our reach and brought awareness to the forefront while connecting with an existing community.”
The event also provided a platform for the Rotary clubs to distribute pamphlets about available support services.
“We’re not police or social workers, but we can help keep domestic violence in people’s minds,” de Leon said.
“Events like this let victims know that their community cares and encourage them to seek help if they need it.”
While this year’s efforts focused on two Parkrun locations, de Leon expressed hopes to expand in 2025.
“Next year, with more planning on our part, we’d love to see all Parkruns in Logan participate,” she said.
There are currently six Parkruns that take place every Saturday morning across Logan.
