The countdown is on for one of Lismore’s toughest, and most loved, fundraising events, with nearly 550 competitors set to descend on Hepburn Park this weekend for the Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge.

During a small event yesterday, organisers revealed this year’s official shirt colour - light blue - alongside key sponsors who are backing the cause and cheering teams on.

The Samson Challenge is no ordinary fitness event. Teams of four will battle their way through nine gruelling challenges, including a farmers walk with jerry cans, a prowler push, a 130kg truck tyre flip, burpees, a 2x2km run, 1km swim, sled pull and a wild obstacle course. The fastest team claims the coveted Samson Title and bragging rights for the next twelve months.

But at its heart, Samson is about something far bigger than muscle and medals. The event is a major fundraiser for Our Kids, which purchases paediatric equipment for the Children’s Ward and Special Care Nursery at Lismore Base Hospital.

Our Kids Fundraising Coordinator Rebekka Battista says this year’s event is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet.

“We are feeling pretty good. We have got nearly 125 teams, so nearly 550 competitors coming from all over the area, from southeast Queensland to even out to Armidale,” she said.

“We’ve got over 30 people doing the solo and then we’ll probably have about 200 kids doing Samson Kids. So all up, that’s a lot of competitors.”

Across the weekend there will be four events: Samson Solo on Friday night, Team Samson on Saturday, Team Samson Teen and Junior, and the ever-popular Samson Kids.

It’s not just competitors turning up in force. The event has once again drawn strong local business support.

Anthony Magarry, Operations Manager at Basec Engineering, said the company is proud to be stepping up as a platinum sponsor of Our Kids for the next three years.

“We’re very glad to be part of the event and support the community,” he said. “This is the first time we’ve sponsored the Samson Challenge.”

Basec also has a team competing this weekend.

“They’re a bit nervous and a bit anxious… but looking forward for our team to do well and to struggle out there,” he laughed.

HCF Ballina and Flip Insurance have also come on board as sponsors for the first time this year.

Rebecca Simmons, Branch Manager of HCF Ballina, said supporting Samson aligns with the organisation’s focus on health and local engagement.

“We are really looking forward to being part of this local engagement. HCF makes sure that we want to be nice and healthy, so this is a great way to help and support our locals,” she said.

Marlena Kamkolkar, Commercial Lead at Flip Insurance, echoed the sentiment.

“It’s our first time. We’re partnering together with HCF and we’re excited to be here… for a really important cause. It’s great to be having this local awareness,” she said.

Volunteers will also be out in force, with HCF and Flip setting up tents at the finishing line with goodies for competitors and supporters.

Behind the scenes, dozens of community groups are helping bring the event together - from Rotary and Lions to the Lords Taverners and Norths Baseball, who are running the barbecue. Summerland Christian College is hosting Samson Kids.

“It’s a massive event and there’s lots of playing parts,” Rebekka said. “All these people come together to help Our Kids put this amazing event on.”

This year’s fundraising goal has a very clear purpose.

“With the funds raised, we’re going to buy a ventilator for the Special Care Nursery, which is pretty amazing,” she said.

More than $200,000 has already been raised over the years to purchase vital paediatric equipment for local hospitals, and organisers are hoping this weekend will add significantly to that tally.

However, Rebekka says more helping hands are still needed.

“In saying that, we really do need some more volunteers. If people would like to volunteer, they can just turn up between 6am and 3pm up at Hepburn Park and we’ll assign them a leg to help out,” she said.

As Lismore pulls on light blue this weekend, the message is clear: this is about strength in every sense of the word, physical, community and heart. Whether you’re flipping tyres, handing out water, cheering from the sidelines or cooking the barbecue, the Samson Challenge once again proves what this town can do when it comes together for its kids.