Charity event provides boost

A recent community raffle and charity golf day event in Warragul has provided an equipment boost for West Gippsland Hospital and the Warragul and District Specialist School.

Charity Golf Day ommittee members presented $20,000 to the Hospital and $5000 to the Specialist School - proceeds of the fundraiser held at Warragul Country Club in April this year.

West Gippsland Healthcare Group chief executive officer Dan Weeks thanked the committee for their wonderful efforts in raising money for the community.

“The hospital will use the funds to purchase much needed medical equipment including an ECG machine for our Surgical Unit and a non-invasive ventilator for patients presenting in the Emergency Department with breathing difficulties,” he said.

Warragul and District Specialist School principal Matthew Hyde thanked the committee for including the School as an additional beneficiary this year.

“This generous donation will be used to support the therapy needs of the 120 students who attend the Warragul and District Specialist School through the provision of specific therapy equipment,” he said.

“The school’s therapy team consisting of occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, nurses and psychologists who play an integral role in supporting the student’s educational, social and physical needs.

“This donation will greatly assist our work in these important programs.”

Warragul Country Club fundraising committee member Joy Marriott thanked the community for their support of the annual event.

“Our thanks go to the hundreds of people who purchased raffle tickets and the many generous business and organisations who donated prizes for the raffle and the golf day auction,” she said.

“This is the fourth year the event has been staged with support from Bendigo Bank Warragul and Bendigo Bank Community branches at Neerim, Drouin and Trafalgar in conjunction with the Warragul Country Club.

“This year’s proceeds take the total amount raised over four years to $93,000,” Joy said.

“That money goes directly back into our community.”

The Committee has set the date as Friday, March 29 for next year’s Charity Golf day event with the community raffle to run during February and March.

“We are issuing a call to businesses and individuals to get on board so we can start firming up prizes for next year’s event and organise printing,” Joy said.

“Prizes can be in the form of goods, vouchers or services.

“It is amazing to think that we started as a small group of volunteers looking to raise around $5000 for the hospital in our first year and received such a big response from the community we tripled that.

“We are now almost at the $100,000 mark in funds raised in just four years.”

For more information contact the Pro Shop at the Warragul Country Club on 5623 2353 or visit the website https://www.warragulcountryclub.com.au/cms/golf/bendigo-bankcharity-day-2018/