Update – Wednesday 24 April 2019
And they've done it!! Our trekkers have arrived safely at the end of the Kokoda Track, after 96km of blood, sweat and tears. Tomorrow they will attend an Anzac service at Bomana Cemetery before heading home.
Update – Wednesday 17 April 2019
Yesterday, the team safely travelled from Port Moresby to Popondetta, where they were taken by truck to the start of the Kokoda Track. Our trekkers received the warmest of welcomes by the locals before gearing up for Day One.
Update – Monday 15 April 2019
And...they're off! Our 33 Kokoda trekkers - including NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, NSW Police Legacy Chair Gary Merryweather, and 11 NSW Police Legatees - are now in Papua New Guinea, ready to start their adventure.
Update – Friday 22 March 2019
With less than four weeks to go before Kokoda, the team are training hard!
Together, they've been wearing in their trekking boots while hiking mountains across the state. Last weekend, the NSW Police Legacy cohort went to the Blue Mountains for a two-day trek. The rainy expedition was only a glimpse of what they will experience in Papua New Guinea.
Yesterday afternoon (Thursday 21 March 2019), the NSW Police Legatee trekkers took the traditional pilgrimage out to the Kokoda Track Memorial walkway in Rhodes, to reflect on the journey they are about to undertake, and honour the memory of the hardy souls who fought so valiantly all those years ago.
Honouring our fallen officers – Kokoda 2019
NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller APM, is swapping his police uniform for trekking boots and taking on one of the most difficult trails to raise much needed funding for NSW Police Legacy.
Commissioner Fuller, who is Patron of NSW Police Legacy, will trek the 96 kilometre Kokoda Trek in Papua New Guinea with 11 Police Legatees between Monday 15 April and Friday 26 April 2019.
NSW Police Legacy cares for the families of deceased police officers, whether serving or retired, regardless of the cause of death, who are facing challenging circumstances. All funds raised will go towards supporting the families of our fallen officers.
The trek, which has been running since 2004, will be especially important following the death of the late Constable Timothy Proctor in a car crash on Thursday 31 January 2019.
A message from the NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller APM
NSW Police Legacy is the backbone of our police family, providing support and assistance when it is most needed. Today, there are more than 1100 Police Legatees in NSW whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice.
There is no replacing what these families have lost, but through the efforts of NSW Police Legacy and its supporters and volunteers, they have another family – their Police family – that will always be there for them.
Already this year, the NSW Police Force have suffered a tremendous loss, with the passing of the late Constable Timothy David Proctor. To honour his life, and the lives of all our fallen colleagues, 11 Police Legatees and I will take on the Kokoda Trek. Donations to this cause will go to the families of those who cannot be here with us today.
About NSW Police Legacy
NSW Police Legacy is a strong and compassionate 'profit for purpose' organisation providing services to Police Legatees and members of the wider police family across the State. Today, Police Legacy enhances the lives of approximately 1,000 Police Legatees by providing professional and compassionate support to the families who have suffered a loss through the provision of meaningful benefits, services and advocacy.
NSW Police Legacy envision a caring, inclusive and supportive police family where no partner or child of a deceased or former serving officer will ever feel forgotten or in need.
The NSW Police Force is Australia's largest police organisation and one of the biggest in the English speaking world. It is a large and diverse workforce with close to 16,500 dedicated serving police officers and approximately 3,000 unsworn officers who protect our community around the clock. The police family extends far and wide, and encompasses not only our serving and retired police, but also their families.
NSW Police Legacy was established as an Association in 1987 to care for the police family and became incorporated in 1991. For 30 years, NSW Police Legacy have been providing both financial assistance and compassionate support to our police families.
NSW Police Legacy take pride in being an inclusive organisation. Regardless of whether a police officer was serving or retired, or the circumstances of their death, our obligation is to those left behind - our Police Legatees.