Ipswich Cares

The walkers witnessed a beautiful sunrise.

EXHAUSTED, hot and sore, 12 people walked into the Orion Shopping Centre at Springfield late on Wednesday afternoon.

The group had risen before the sun, and walked the entire length of Ipswich – an astounding 50km - all in the name of charity.

Part of Ipswich Cares, an initiative which helps to raise essential funds for Compassion, this year's Ipswich Cares Walk helped to raise money to install water filtration in villages in Bangladesh.

Ipswich City Councillor, David Morrison, is the driving force behind Ipswich Cares, and said after the walk and a charity dinner, they had already managed to raise $11,000, and this figure was still rising.

“This is the fourth year we've run it (Ipswich Cares),” he said.

“It's interesting, last year two people walked the whole way (for the Ipswich Cares walk), this year 12 walked the whole way.”

Those 12 people included Stephen Hodgson and Paul Kirwan, who were among the first to arrive at the shopping centre.

“I knew it was going to be tough, the final 5km I found really tough,” Mr Hodgson said.

“(At the end) it was easier to jog than walk,” Mr Kirwan added.

Another walker, Adam Morrison, also found the walk pretty tough going, but that didn't stop him running the last 8km after stopping to help change a flat tyre on a car.

“Everyone was about 800m ahead of me so I started running to catch up,” he said.

“But I'll be at a physio tomorrow.”

Ipswich Cares will run throughout the month of September, during which each Ipswich resident is being urged to donate just $1.

“The idea is not to be laborious to anyone or any business,” Cr Morrison said.

“And $1 isn't laborious...if everyone in Ipswich gave $1 we'd have $165,000.”

To make a donation to Ipswich Cares, there will be money spinners in every major shopping centre including Orion, Redbank Plaza, Booval Fair and Riverlink throughout September or visit www.ipswichcares.com.au for more information.