By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
WITH the sun shining and hardly a cloud in sight, Melbourne’s weather certainly lends itself to a game of golf.
But some other countries are not afforded the same opportunities.
With this in mind, the Rotary Club of Endeavour Hills is busy preparing for their Charity Golf Day later this month to be held at the Cranbourne Golf Club. The event has been organised to help support its recently established Disaster Aid Australia project, created to help the people from the Philippines rebuild their homes after the Typhoon Haiyan devastation in November last year.
Chairman of the Golf Day Committee Peter Verey said the golf event had been a marquee occasion since it started almost 30 years ago and that this year’s competition was particularly significant due to the club’s establishment of Disaster Aid Australia.
“The club is looking forward to staging another successful Charity Golf Day, which has raised over $660,000 since its inception in 1986,” he said.
“All funds raised are used for charitable purposes. This year our flagship project is Disaster Aid Australia, a humanitarian project established by this club, which has delivered its entire stock of ’Family Survival Boxes’ to the disaste-struck Philippines after the devastating typhoon there.
“The club is now working hard to replenish our stocks, and this year the majority of funds raised from our Golf Day will go towards achieving this, at the same time supporting local youth groups also.”
The Disaster Aid ethos is to “rebuild homes and lives” in the Philippines through supplying home repair kits to, and working with, locals. Disaster Aid Response Team members (DARTs), assigned by Endeavour Hills Rotary, have already helped re-build 500 homes in the Phillipines since late last year, and the groups have set a lofty objective of re-building 2000 in total.
“This is a disaster like no other in memory there, and we need even more funding, so we can continue to rebuild homes, and the lives of the wonderful, resourceful and resilient Filipino people,” Mr Verey said.
Last month DARTs were also deployed to South Sudan to assist in setting up communities affected by the recent civil unrest.
The Charity Golf Day, sponsored by Bendigo Bank Dandenong, will be held on Monday 24 February and the club has invited people to enjoy a great game of golf, followed by a meal. Players can be accommodated in groups down to singles, while competing for excellent prizes.
For more information on the Golf Day and to download the event entry form, visit www.rotaryendeavourhills.org.au
