By Alesha Capone
A rubber chicken is bringing fun and friendship to the wider Melbourne area as part of a COVID-safe community relay.
Named “Bubble Bird”, the idea started with Victorian man Peter Mitchell, who decided to use the rubber chicken as a relay baton for his regular running group during lockdown.
With pandemic restrictions preventing large groups of people from exercising together, individuals or paired runners would pass Bubble Bird to each other while jogging on Mount Martha’s Big Bird trail.
The runners handed Bubble Bird, who is attached to a Garmin watch and built-in hand sanitiser, to each other when their five-kilometre radiuses overlapped.
Participants from across the state have joined in and have taken the rubber chicken on a trek of more than 1700 kilometres while running, walking and cycling.
Local resident Michelle collected Bubble Bird from Wyndham Vale train station earlier this month, from a Lara resident named Bill who has permission to work in the city.
Michelle said she found out about Bubble Bird through her friend Nicola, who is part of the Wyndham Vale Parkrun group.
For her time with Bubble Bird, Michelle dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and ran with her partner.
“I’ve enjoyed becoming part of something that makes me happy and connects me to other people for a common purpose, as well as having a run and enjoying the whole process,” Michelle said.
Michelle handed Bubble Bird over to another Wyndham Vale Parkrun member, Tara, near Bolton and Ballan roads.
Details: bit.ly/2YHgips or bit.ly/3k26z5w
