Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (13:52) 

I rise to congratulate over 150 dedicated members of the 14 for Fitz who ran and walked the 14-kilometre City2Surf event in Sydney yesterday.

This group of 150 friends dedicated their 14 kilometres to remembering Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, who sadly passed away during a training incident at the RAAF Base Richmond on 6 March earlier this year.

The 14 for Fitz included close friends and family of Jack and others from across our community, including Joel and Di Fitzgibbon, who came together to remember Jack and honour his memory by raising awareness and funds for the Commando Welfare Trust. The trust is a special charity providing a financial safety net to support special operation commando soldiers, veterans and their families.

The 14 for Fitz began as a simple idea to come together and support one another through grief and quickly evolved into a powerful movement which brought our wider community together for a common cause. Initially setting out to raise $50,000, 14 for Fitz has doubled this target by raising more than $100,000.

I would like to thank everyone who has backed 14 for Fitz; $100,000 is a great amount of money that will make a real positive difference to the lives of soldiers, veterans and their families.

It is a heartwarming way to ensure that Jack's memory is kept alive.