Campaign’s no dress rehearsal

Michelle Knoll prepares to ride during the Do it in a Dress campaign.

By JODIE SYMONDS

IT’S time to horse around and ‘Do it in a Dress’ to help the women of Africa.
Hoddles Creek mum of two Michelle Knoll is raising money by riding her horse in a dress around the Yarra Valley for this month.
For the past three years, Ms Knoll and some other members from the Upper Yarra-based Anvil Park Riding Club formed a team called Horse Play and have raised money for the women of disadvantaged countries.
This month, Horse Play has already raised $400.
The Do it in a Dress campaign aims at providing women of Sierra Leone and Uganda with the ability to get the best possible education by giving them school materials such as books and school bags.
For a girl born in Sierra Leone, it is more likely that she will be sexually assaulted than go to high school.
Ms Knoll said it really hit home because she had both a son and a daughter who were studying.
“I just think about how lucky they are to be able to have life’s opportunities, but these women aren’t so lucky,” she said.
Ms Knoll plans on attending horse riding events and catch ups for the next month with her Anvil Park riding club.
“People should really get involved and donate to such a great cause,” she said.
Campaigning in a dress is not only fun, but it also gets a lot of looks, Ms Knoll said.
“Even after three years, we still get hilarious looks off people while we’re out on the roads,” she said.
“It just makes it more enjoyable and more people are getting to know what we’re doing.”
Ms Knoll would like to thank everyone who has already donated or showed support for this great cause.
To donate to Horse Play, visit www.doitinadress.com/team/horseplay.
For more information on the Do it in a Dress campaign, visit www.doitinadress.com.