The Vietnam Swans have always and always will have a high focus on supporting the community around us. It’s common for Swans players and members to undertake fantastic initiatives to do great things in this space and this is very much one of those times. Swans legend, Northern spiritual leader and long time midfield bull Jake Norris is going to join Sean Down in walking the length of Vietnam in support of 2 of the best charities in the country. We impore ALL of our family and friends to support, follow and donate where possible to this fantastic effort and incredible charities! More on that below but first a bit of the background to the Vietnam Charity Walk…
Who are We?
Hi guys, I’m Jake Norris and I’m from a little country town, Burra in South Australia. I’ve been living in Vietnam for almost 7 years, teaching and playing with the Vietnam Swans footy club. As a true blue Aussie bogan, I’m aiming to be the first person to walk the length of Vietnam in thongs. I’m doing this walk as I want to give back to this amazing country that has given so much to me. Bonus is, I’m doing it with a great friend.
I’m Sean, I’m Irish and I’ve been living in Vietnam on and off for about 5 years. I believe I’ll be the first obese man with patchy facial hair to walk the length of the country for charity. I’ve wanted to give something back to the people of Vietnam for a long time and this walk is the perfect opportunity to do that, and to spend time with a great friend. It’s a win-win for me.
Describe the challenge and what will be the most challenging?
We think the hardest part of the walk might be the psychological aspects – the boredom and motivation. But that’s why we’re doing it together. Hopefully, we can keep each other motivated and focused on the goal of doing this to raise money and awareness for Blue Dragon and the Thanh Loc project. We also both agree that Jake’s energiser bunny type persona might cause a few arguments from time to time, as he’s constantly full of energy.
Why did you choose these 2 charities?
There are an amazing number of charities doing gods work in Vietnam, each as deserving as one another. However, we chose both the Thanh Loc Project and Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, due to our connection with them and understanding of the incredible work they do.
Blue Dragon is dedicated to rescuing and supporting vulnerable children in Vietnam, while the Thanh Loc Project focuses on providing education to underprivileged communities.
Both have a proven track record of making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need, and that really stood out to us both.
How can people support?
People can support us by liking our Facebook and Instagram pages and sharing our stories and posts. This helps us to spread the word and create a greater audience. Throughout the walk, we’d really love the community in Vietnam to come say hi, walk with us, and help us spread awareness too.
And most importantly, we need people to donate if they can. Every little bit helps both of our charities and makes a huge difference in the lives of children in Vietnam.
Donate to this great cause at their Go Get Funding Page
As mentioned above, if you haven’t already please follow the social media accounts and share like, comment to support the efforts and great causes:
https://www.facebook.com/VietnamCharityWalk/
https://www.instagram.com/vietnamcharitywalk
There are some fantastic companies already supporting, how can others get behind this fantastic cause?
We have both tiered sponsorship options and the possibility of tailoring a sponsorship deal with individual companies. Please check out the companies already sponsoring the walk and as always support companies who support our communities!
Anyone interested can contact us at vietnamcharitywalk@gmail.com and we can go from there.
