Mosese Talai Uluiviti, Will Picton and Vanja Vrhovac to walk 258km for Fight 4 Youth charity

Three local men will walk from Pacific Pines to Yamba lighthouse to raise funds for intervention programs they say will help stop the cycle of youth crime.

Three local men will walk from Pacific Pines to Yamba lighthouse to raise funds for intervention programs they say help stop the cycle of youth crime.

Colleagues Mosese Talai Uluiviti, Will Picton and Vanja Vrhovac will embark on the 258km journey on Saturday, starting at the drive-through chemist at Pacific Pines at 4am.

They hope to finish at the Yamba lighthouse by midnight on Monday.

Mr Vrhovac said he was inspired to go on the walk to help support Currumbin’s non-for-profit charity Fight 4 Youth, which focuses on “finding a solution, not the problem”.

“If people with morals and values show kids the right path, they will take it,” he said.

Mr Vrhovac said he did not agree with the Crisafulli Government’s stance on ‘adult crime, adult time’.

“I believe it is the wrong way,” he said.

“Sending kids to prison, we minimise their chances of turning a new leaf, being happy, healthy and successful in life.”

Vanja Vrhovac will walk 258km over three days from Pacific Pines to Yamba lighthouse to raise awareness and funds for youth programs at the non-for-profit charity Fight 4 Youth in Currumbin. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Fight 4 Youth head boxing coach Harry Lincoln said he believed accountability was important in reform.

“Consequences should align with the severity of actions, and stricter consequences may lead young people to make more positive choices.”

Mr Lincoln said during his three years of volunteering at Fight 4 Youth he had watched kids go down the wrong path for varying factors.

“(They include) negative peer influence, difficult family dynamics and a lack of essential life skills,” he said.

“They need a safe and accepting environment where they can receive healthy encouragement.”

Mr Lincoln said Saturday’s walk was “significant” for Fight 4 Youth, with funds raised helping run an early intervention program which includes mentoring, empowerment and life skills.

“It not only helps us raise essential funds but also puts into practice some of the life skills we teach, such as resilience and perseverance,” he said.

“By prioritising prevention and early intervention, our programs aim to decrease the chances of young people participating in anti-social behaviour or becoming involved and stuck in the criminal justice system.”

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