Percy the Pig arrived in Canowindra on Tuesday afternoon about 3pm after a long hard push from Cargo. We found a number of the pig pushers relaxing in Memorial Park with their shoes off.
There are over 120 “Pig Pushers” pushing Percy all the way from Orange back home to Boorowa this week. Each team is made up of 20 people who are rostered on each day for the massive 211km trek from Orange to Boorowa. The teams of pig pushers have come up with some interesting names and are made up of the 40 and Fit, Boorowa Rugby Club, Fit Farmers, Graincorp and the Redheads, who are from all over the countryside.
Percy the Pig is all about raising money for the Country Education Foundation (CEF). The CEF is a national not-for-profit organisation helping rural and regional youth access education, training and jobs through grants, scholarships, support services and resources that began in Boorowa in 1993.
On Tuesday the team pushed Percy 24km from Cargo to Canowindra in very hot and dry conditions. The cold beer on tap at the Canowindra Hotel was very welcome when they rolled into town.
Richard Fleming one of the pig pushers said “The whole idea behind Percy the Pig and the Country Education Fund is to raise money for kids in regional areas so that they can further their education in the city and then return to their regional areas and use their qualifications.”