They will travel across the country this weekend to take part in Fusion Australia’s Uluru Pilgrimage.

The trip is designed to take participants out of their comfort zone and help bridge cultural gaps.

Fusion senior leader Lauren Fakehinde said the annual event promoted reconciliation. “There will be a water ceremony where indigenous elders will give water to the young people,” she said.

“That’s symbolic of stories from settlement where water sources were sometimes poisoned.

“It’s an opportunity for young people to say, ‘I want the future to be different’, and they drink the water.”

Ms Fakehinde said Bendigo resident Don Goodman put in a fantastic effort by raising $9000 from chocolate sales to go towards the trip. Mr Goodman drives a mobility scooter and is a familiar sight around Eaglehawk.

“I was introduced to Fusion by some friends of mine,” Mr Goodman said. “I found out one of the ways to help out was by doing fundraising and I volunteered to take on that responsibility.”

The Uluru pilgrims will leave on Sunday before returning home on April 18.

Fusion is an international youth and community organisation, which emerged as a creative response to socially-at-risk young people in Australia.