4 minute read
2022 Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day
On Friday the 18th of March, over 60 keen golfers headed out to the Heidelberg Golf Club to attend the Annual Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day. The first Golf Day was held in 2013 and since then all funds raised from the event have been donated to DEBRA Australia, an organisation who work tirelessly to support those living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). EB is a rare disease whereby the skin blisters and peels at the slightest touch. Affecting all three layers of skin and internal mucosal linings, the painful and lifechanging disease has been likened to living with third-degree burns.
DEBRA Australia is a volunteer-based organisation that do not receive any direct Government funding; therefore, they rely on donations to achieve their mission which is ‘To ensure that people living with EB have access to the best quality support and medical care, whilst also driving the effective development of treatments and cure for EB. To raise awareness and understanding of EB amongst health professionals and the general public within Australia.’ The Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day is one of two major charity events that support DEBRA Australia, making it an important day in the charities calendar. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the 2022 Melbourne Market Golf Day was an opportunity for everyone to make up for lost time and celebrate with a hit of golf. Registrations opened at 8am where teams were given a goodie bag and their team T-shirts. Each team was also given a token to place in one of three boxes for their chance to play with an AFL champion including, Terry Daniher and Gary Buckenara. After a welcome speech from Joe Amalfi, the teams were ready for the shotgun start at 9:30am which commenced the Golf Competition. There was a light shower in the morning, but the sun shone through, providing players with ideal weather conditions for the competition. It was great to see sportsmanship across the course, and as is the case each year, there was some friendly rivalry which created a fun atmosphere. The competitive spirit really came out at the Putting Competition and Nearest to the Pin Competition. This year’s Hole in One prizes were huge, including a Toyota Forklift donated by Toyota Material Handling Australia, a FIAT Dolcevita donated by Zagame Automotive Group, and $50,000 cash donated by the Melbourne Market Golf Day Committee. Contenders gave it their best shot, but no one was successful in hitting a hole in one. Once the golf competition had ended, teams moved inside to enjoy a delicious, buffet lunch prepared by the Chef at Heidelberg Golf Club. Former AFL coach and player Kevin Sheedy kept the crowd entertained as the MC during the afternoon. He introduced Simone Baird, the National Family Support Co-ordinator at DEBRA Australia, who took to the podium to deliver a moving speech about Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Simone shared a story about Alexis, a young girl who suffered from EB and sadly lost her battle in 2021. During her speech Simone said “I personally see the relief the Melbourne Market Golf Day provides to EB families, and I can’t begin to tell you just how much of a difference your donations make. A massive thank you to the loyal supporters, without you digging deep to be here today, none of this would be possible. Thank you.” We’d like to thank Simone for attending the event and speaking to attendees.
Next on the agenda was the announcement of the overall golf winners and raffle prize winners:
Overall Golf Winners: Team - Perfection. Team members - Travis Van Niekerk, Jeremy Redmond, Tom Cohen, Nathan McIntyre. Nearest to the Pin: Mario Loprete. Putting Comp: Travis Van Niekerk. The day is made possible due to the support of its sponsors, Fresh State, The Melbourne Market Authority, The Melbourne Market Lions Club, and Toyota Material Handling. The day would not be possible without the dedicated team of volunteers from DEBRA Australia, Fresh State, the Melbourne Market Authority, Toyota Material Handling, and the Melbourne Market Lions Club. They all committed their time to ensure the event ran smoothly. The Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day committee contributed many hours of work and attended many meetings to ensure the Golf Day was a success. The committee is made up of members from the Melbourne Market, DEBRA Australia, Fresh State, the Melbourne Market Authority, Toyota Material Handling, and the Melbourne Market Lions Club.
Despite the significant hardship and challenges businesses and individuals have faced over the past two years due to Covid19, the event raised $76,274 for DEBRA Australia, bringing the overall amount raised since 2013 to an incredible $619,274. These funds have made a huge impact to the lives of those living with EB.
