Over 150 people have attended a fundraiser for the Indigenous running program Bush to Beach in Port Macquarie on Saturday March 9.
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The bush to beach program is an exchange program which allows kids from Port Macquarie and Wauchope to visit the tiny Ntaria Hermannsburg community located 130km west of Alice Springs.
The luncheon at Rydges was attended by Olympians Nova Peris, Rob de Castella, and Steve Moneghetti as well as children from the Ntaria Hermannsburg community.
The founder of Bush to Beach Charlie Maher said around $6000 was raised from the event.
Mr Maher was emotional in his speech at the fundraiser saying he was blown away by the support.
He said it had been a "real experience" having kids from his hometown of Hermannsburg visit.
"The kids from Hermannsburg did things for the first time.
They had never seen the ocean let alone gone surfing.
- Charlie Maher
All the children of the Bush to Beach program participated in the Port Macquarie Running Festival over the weekend (March 9-10).
"The kids from Hermannsburg had never been part of a fun run or got a medal."
Mr Maher said friendships were formed between the participants of the program from Port Macquarie and Hermannsburg.
"Our kids realised how much they had," he said.
"We are trying to teach them to always be grateful, humble and appreciate what you have."
The is the first of two visits of by the Northern Territory participants to Port Macquarie.
They will return in September.
The Port Macquarie participants of Bush to Beach will visit Hemmannsburg next month (April).
