A picture drawn by a Jersey teenager has been selected as the official design for the t-shirt that will be worn by more than a thousand participants in the 2009 Itex Walk.
In previous years an Itex staff member has designed the official Walk t-shirt, but for 2009 it was decided that Jersey school pupils would be asked to enter a competition to design it. Three schools entered – Samares, Les Landes and Grainville. Out of 203 entries, 13 year old Oliver Bale, a pupil at Grainville School, has been unveiled as the winner.
His design, which incorporates the date of the 2009 event, shows the Itex Walk mascot, Charlie, trekking around a map of Jersey. Oliver will now work with the creative design team at The Partnership in St Helier to develop the image into a t-shirt print.
Online registration for the 2009 Itex Walk will open on Thursday 29th January. Participants can register by logging on to www.itexwalk.je. Paper registration will be available from next month.
Three local charities have been selected as the main beneficiaries of the walk this year - Jersey Mencap, Holidays for Heroes Jersey and Jersey Friends of The Anthony Nolan Trust. In addition, a further ten local organisations will benefit from the donations raised by the walkers and their numerous supporters. Every penny raised goes to the charities, with Itex meeting all of the running costs for the event.
2009 is the nineteenth year that the Itex Walk has taken place. To date, £1,292,169 has been donated to 18 Jersey-based charities as a result of sponsorship and donations.
Paul Owen, Commercial Director of Itex, has helped to organise the event every year since it began back in 1990. He commented: “The Around the Island Walk is the largest, single-day fund raising event in Jersey’s community calendar. Each year more than 1200 walkers take part, and combine a personal challenge with their desire to raise money for deserving causes here.
“Online registrations will open on Thursday 29th January and I would urge as many people as possible to sign up and take part. As well as doing your bit for charity, it is also a lot of fun and a great way to take in our beautiful island.”
2009 Walk Committee Chairman, Joy Carry from Rotary de la Manche, commented: “Numerous local charities asked to be considered as beneficiaries from the Walk in 2009. Selecting them was difficult but the three main charities that have been chosen are all very deserving of our support. In addition, our charitable trust handles all of the donations and ensures that giving is as tax efficient as possible to raise even more for these local causes.”
The 2009 Itex Walk is also an opportunity to join His Excellency, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, Lt. Gen. Andrew Ridgway CB CBE on his personal challenge to walk around the island in consecutive stages over four years. Each stage of the Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge is walked in parallel with those walkers attempting the full distance in one go. This year is the third stage. He will start at Haute Tombette near Devil’s Hole and finish at La Braye car park, a distance of 11.1 miles.