| Ozgurus Outreach: The Original Project | |
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OzGurus Outreach inconjunction with CountryPunk Entertainment is pleased to still offer a fun and highly interactive online community. Chat with others from around Australia and the world, keep and share a blog, watch the live webcams and much more |
About OzGurus: The History
OzGurus Outreach began in 1996. Steve Utick, the president of the St. Vincent de Paul State Literature Advisory Committee (ACT/NSW) had contacted Kieran (Kip) Davies to produce a series of special computer games to celebrate the life and beatification of the society's founder Frederic Ozanam.
That collaboration led to the idea of using computers and the Internet as a means of reaching out to young people across Australia. To present to them the messages of hope and the practical advice contained not only in the Vinnie's printed literature but in the ethos of the Society itself. To provide a means of tapping into this caring and practical support when it was needed most, courtesy a cutting edge 24 hour, 7 day a week web site.
The name OzGurus came from Oz for Ozanam, and Gurus because Steve rather liked the term and felt it unusual but catchy in expressing the outreach aims.
To ensure the outreach would be real, practical and approachable by the young people it wanted to be there for, it tapped into the skills of its founders and supporters. This meant that the professional motorcycle race team run by Kieran threw itself behind the project, and the team's race bikes, riders and crew became an integral part of the touring "show" that reached out to youth to present the summed up message that life is the ultimate race, don't be afraid to get support.
From bikes to cars, from club to national and international racing involvements, the team grew and so did it's ability to carry out it's primary task of delivering a message of hope to young people in a pro-active and preventative manner. A great concern was to address the needs of those feeling lost and without direction, who's thoughts in their great pain had turned to suicide.
Online a series of "pit stops" were created, reflecting the real pit stops a race team must take to address issues that come up during a race. Life's race is filled with moments of great joy, sadness, grief, loneliness and of course the every day mundane. The online topics, in many cases taken from the great literature offered by Vinnie's in printed form, were a quick guide and pointers to what to do when or even before bad things happen.
Most importantly OzGurus offered somewhere for people to turn for direction, friendship and guidance to the many fantastic non-internet support services available to folks going through tough times. It developed a series of interactive, monitored chat rooms to enable people to log-in at any time and receive support or find friendship.
Over the years OzGurus toured throughout Australia. Visits to schools, training centres, reform centres, street appearances, churches, fetes, community festivals and more became increasingly in demand of the OzGurus crew. Kieran would speak on the analogy of life and racing, demonstrating through his first hand experience and the team's race gear a suggested way to prepare and run the race of life. A conservative count showed in excess of 500,000 Australian youth were directly spoken to in face to face outreach presentations. Hundreds of people used the online services each month.
The race-cars' turned heads and brought the youth to the outreach wherever it was called to travel. People were not afraid to make an approach for assistance thanks to the novel circus style appearance; the barriers between those in need and those with the resources to help were broken down.
The demand grew too large, the need was too great. People everywhere feel isolated and alone, left to fend for themselves and afraid that to ask for assistance will cause them to be looked down upon. Unfortunately the resources to continue the OzGurus Outreach to meet these needs just wasn't available. Vinnie's needed to focus on other projects, and it was necessary that they cut back their financial and practical support.
And so OzGurus was absorbed into the daily workings of its team member's. The outreach unofficially continues, unfunded and as part of the spirit and friendly community building initiatives found throughout the various projects still run by Kieran (Kip) Davies.
Perhaps the day will come when OzGurus Outreach will once again take to the screens, streets, schools and communities to encourage people to practically live life as the Apostle Paul stated - to run the good race, to race as to win the prize, and to remember that He loves us and we are never alone.
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Special thanks to: Mr Steve Utick, The St. Vincent de Paul Society State Literature Advisory Committee (ACT/NSW), Linda Petrea, Peter and Beverley Brock and The Peter Brock Foundation, Sebastian Downie, Warren Pitt, Manmor Pty. Ltd., Mr. Tony Hood (Webb & Co./PINP), Cassie Coburn and family, Waterfront Internet Services, Labyrinth Connections Pty. Ltd., Smithees Racecar Technology, Mr. Frank Sicari and Gestetner, Mr. Fergus Cameron and Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, the Cockerell Family, and ALL THE MANY OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE who though not named here made the OzGurus Outreach project possible through their important contributions.
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CountryPunk (including OzGurus Cyber Cafe, Outreach and Race Team) based originally at Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. We maintain strong ties to our Phillip Island community and heartily recommend this fascinating holiday island to everyone! When we travel to the home of Australian motor sport, to explore, film or visit the Island's amazing tourist attractions (including the Penguin Parade, Seal Rocks, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Cowes and more) we book online through the official Phillip Island tourist information guide at www.phillipislandguide.com |
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