Seven announces Parathon to help send Australia’s Paralympic team to Rio

A special five-hour-long Weekend Sunrise on 5 March will aim to raise funds for the Australian team ahead of September’s Paralympic Games. 10 Feb 2016
Imagen
Paralympian Dylan Alcott with Weekend Sunrise hosts Angela Cox and Andrew O’Keefe

Paralympian Dylan Alcott with Weekend Sunrise hosts Angela Cox and Andrew O’Keefe

ⒸAustralian Paralympic Committee and Seven West Media
By Australian Paralympic Committee and Seven West Media

Australian broadcaster Seven will host a special five-hour-long programme on Saturday 5 March which aims to raise funds to Australia’s Paralympic team to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Andrew O’Keefe and Angela Cox will present a special extended edition of WEEKEND SUNRISE live from Sydney’s Martin Place between 7am-12pm AEDT. It will feature para-athletes and special guests, plus give viewers some of the incredible stories behind Australia’s 2016 Paralympic hopefuls.

The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) is aiming to send 170 athletes from 15 sports to Rio, at a cost of AUD 7 million.

All money raised at the WEEKEND SUNRISE PARATHON will go directly towards sending the team to the Paralympics.

Funds raised above the APC’s AUD 7 million Rio funding target will be used for community driven programmes to identify future generations of Paralympians and inspire people with disabilities.

Seven West Media’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Worner, said: “We hope all Australians will be inspired by the stories of our para-athletes. The Weekend Sunrise Parathon is a call to dig deep and get behind our Paralympic hopefuls; to show your support and help these skilled athletes get their chance against the world’s best in Rio.”

Australian Paralympic Committee Chief Executive, Lynne Anderson, said:“In partnership with Seven, we are very excited to introduce Weekend Sunrise viewers to some of our para-athletes aiming for gold in Rio and importantly, provide an opportunity to donate desperately-needed financial assistance to help ensure the Australian Paralympic Team is given the chance to succeed at the Rio Games in September.

“Our Paralympic athletes aiming for Rio are extraordinary elite athletes that we are sure all Australians will respect and admire.

“The Weekend Sunrise Parathon is an Australian first and we really hope Corporate Australia and the wider community embrace it. We want Australians to realise that a contribution to the Parathon can make a meaningful impact on this outstanding group of Australians with a disability.”

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will take place between 7-18 September and Seven will deliver 14 hours a day of live coverage on broadcast television across the network’s digital broadcast platform.