What started as a simple late night conversation amongst board members has now grown into a powerful movement bringing together corporate leaders, volunteers, the diplomatic corps, and the wider community all united to run for a cause that truly matters to all of us.
Frank Hilton Organisation CEO, Sureni Perera highlighted this at the launch of the 10th Frank Hilton Organisation Bara Battle Amazing Wheelbarrow Race 2026 at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
Perera says 18 teams have already registered, while last year there were 23 participating teams, with a total of 184 people running or walking, supported by more than 300 people on the day.
She says together people have created not just an event but a community of impact.
Perera says beyond the race, talking about the real impact, from 2023 to 2025, over 1,600 children were referred to them by the Ministries of Health, Education, and by their referral pathways, and partners.
She says in 2025 alone, approximately 700 families reached out to them, double the number of boys come to us for support, more than girls.
The Frank Hilton CEO says over 66 percent of the children who come to them are under the age of five, in 2025, they delivered close to 7,000 contact sessions.
She says in Fiji, they operate in a space where qualified allied health professionals are very, very limited, health systems are stretched, and yet they continue to invest in training and building local capacity for sustainability of their programs.
Perera says one of their biggest barriers is perceptions and attitudes.
Insert: Perera on support May 26
Perera says the main aim is to raise funds for the Hilton Home which requires $300,000 annually to operate including wages for 24-7 care of qualified caregivers, equipment, food, therapy, and all the other expenses that go into running a residential care facility.
She adds the children at Hilton Home are placed because they have been identified at risk of abuse or neglect, or have been through trauma, abuse, and neglect, and do not have families to support them.
