Dave and Jen For Oxfam

Dave and Jen are a pair of 20-something’s living in Brisbane, Australia. No strangers to travel and excited by the chance to use their rare holidays for a beneficial and unusual experience, they were drawn to the Oxfam Challenge through a serendipitous conversation about fundraising and charities. Undertaking the challenge of raising and exceeding their $11,000 fundraising target, Dave and Jen will be spending two weeks riding from Vietnam to Cambodia in December 2008 with the opportunity to see firsthand some of the outcomes that Oxfam enables in developing nations. They will be joined by their close friend and increasingly beleaguered mascot, Squishy.

Dave

Dave is a 28 year old Data Analyst, with assurances that is more exciting than it sounds. Having travelled and lived in Eastern Europe and been moved by the complexity and depths of suffering of the Former Yugoslavian region particularly, he returned to Australia with a commitment to use his “Powers Of Geek” for the benefit of the world. And not just his World Of Warcraft character. When not crunching numbers for the good of the planet, Dave is involved with the music industry and takes any chance he can get to escape to climb mountains, hike forests and hurtle into trees and branches on a mountain bike. Whilst well travelled he has never been to Asia before and considers himself “mosquito bait”. Dave rides a Mongoose Tyax Super.

Jennifer

At the age of 24, Jennifer is the Human Resources Advisor for ZeroGen Pty Ltd, the company at the forefront of global efforts to develop low emission generating technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of coal based power generation. Having lived in Europe, travelled throughout Asia and completed treks including the Overland Track in Tasmania, Jennifer is no stranger to abstract adventure. She is certain this will present her biggest challenge yet. With an interest in the environment and social causes Jen has supported the regular giving programs of a number of NGO’s for some years and is excited at the chance to witness an Oxfam program at its source. Jen rides a Giant Yukon.

Squishy

Rating somewhere beyond “things potentially embarassing for a grown male to have in his backpack”, there is no denying Squishy is the embodiment of cuteness and charm. Insofar as a small fluffy cat can go. A result of a series of in-jokes within the early friendship of Dave and Jen, Squishy quickly became a mascot for adventures. Whilst Dave has previously travelled the world with the cutting edge cool of a robot mascot, or the Maneki Neko that was the fixture of similar in-joke mascot antics in one of Dave’s bands over the years, there has never been a more adventurous little companion as Squishy. He laughs at danger. Three times. Squishy rides… in backpacks, pockets and on handle bars.

A likely team of world saving, bike riding and photo taking adventurers don’t you think? By checking the site regularly and donating you can be a part of our journey in raising $11,000 for the Oxfam Cambodia Challenge.