Ultra-marathon runner straps Buddy to back to raise awareness of child abuse

Ultra-marathon runner, Kerry Suter (BarefootInc), is strapping a ‘Buddy’ to his back while he runs Saturday’s Great Cranleigh Kauri run in Fletcher Bay, Coromandel.

Kerry, a resident of Cambridge, is running the 70km ultra-marathon, which is expected to take him over seven hours.  He has been picked as one of the top contenders vying for this year’s winning title.

The cardboard cut-out child was a Buddy which was part of the annual child abuse prevention awareness campaign, Buddy Day, which took place in Hamilton on Friday, 16 November.  The event is in its second year and is organised by New Zealand’s only child protection training organisation, Child Matters.

“With some of the worst statistics for child abuse in the developed world I wanted to do my part to help raise awareness and get people talking about the problem.  When I saw Buddy Day coincided with my ultra I leapt at the opportunity to get behind the cause.

“Buddy Day is about adults stepping up and taking responsibility to look out for the kids in our communities.  If we see a child that is in an unsafe environment, we need to speak up.

“Hopefully when people see the Buddy on my back during the race, they’ll be prompted to find out more about Buddy Day and how they can make a difference when it comes to child abuse prevention,” explained Kerry.

For more information on Buddy Day, visit www.buddyday.org.nz or www.facebook.com/buddydaynz.