Marine Rescue's inaugural Charity Golf Day on Friday, March 31 was a hit for skippers, golfers and businesses alike.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
More than 110 golfers took to Club Catalina for some friendly competition to raise much-needed funds for Marine Rescue Batemans Bay.
Unit Commander Rod Ingamells was thrilled with the turnout and was expecting thousands of dollars to be raised through the golf competition, raffle, silent auction and dinner, attended by local MP Fiona Phillips.
"[The funds raised] will help us maintain our office, vessels and radio operations. We have to hold these events so we can continue helping the community.
"Today is about getting the Marine Rescue team out into the community," Mr Ingamells said.
Between Batemans Bay and Eden, there are three staff members working to keep the rescue operations running. The rest of the work is all done by volunteers.
"We don't charge anything to save people and pull boats in. It can be expensive, which is why we have to have these events."
READ MORE:
On average, it costs Marine Rescue $155 an hour to keep one vessel operational, so fundraising events are crucial for the team's vital work. The Batemans Bay branch is lucky enough to have three vessels on standby.
NSW Zone Commander Mike Hammond was confident the charity day would continue as an annual event for Marine Rescue, given the day's success. "We receive some state government support, but without fundraising we wouldn't be able to operate."
The charity day successfully raised enough funds to cover the three vessels' petrol costs for the rest of the year.
Clyde TJM Batemans Bay, Clyde Mazda and Soul Tribe Yoga were among the 40 local businesses that helped the day come to fruition.
