The SA Police raised over $15,000 for Foodbank SA & NT at a recent Ambrose golf day held at the Blue Lake Golf Course.
On the day they had 32 teams made up of SAPOL officers from around the Limestone Coast who received a barbecue lunch and prizes donated by the generous community.
There were raffles and lucky prizes for each hole which made for a fun day for the girls and boys in blue.
Mount Gambier Police Station SAPOL Sergeant Matt Hirlam said it was the first fundraising event of its kind by SAPOL in the Limestone Coast for over 15 years.
“To be able to support these organisations within the community where we work and reside by doing something other than our normal service is rewarding,” he said.
“It is not something that we get to do all the time but to see how thankful Foodbank were for the $15,000 donation definetly made the officers involved proud of their efforts.
“We wanted to find a charity who had a local branch as opposed to a bigger nationwide organisation and so we were aware that Foodbank obviously have their local shed they work out of and the Limestone Coast group themselves support the Limestone Coast and Mount Gambier more specifically as well.
“While some of the money will likely go to Foodbank SA & NT, we are hoping the majority of it will feed back into the Mount Gambier branch to specifically support locals.
“We hope to run a similar event (this year) and maybe even build it up a bit more as a family event as well with the mini golf.
“We want to thank all the local businesses that donated, whether big or small everything went towards different ways that we raised money for the day.”
Foodbank Mount Gambier and Limestone Coast regional manager Lynne Neshoda said it was a fabulous success story and the money raised will be used for the procurement of food for those doing it tough in the community.
“A huge thankyou to the local policemen that initiated this fundraiser and those that volunteered their time on the day, it was a fantastic effort by all,” she said.
“To Bill and his team at the Blue Lake Golf Club, we thank you for allowing us to have this fundraiser and helping with all aspects of the setup prior to and on the day.”
With the cost of living, Foodbank SA & NT is seeing a huge increase in people seeking assistance.
Ms Neshoda said support from groups like the SA Police and the broader community has a significant positive impact for those in need in the region.
“It’s tough out there for everyone now and we value and appreciate all our supporters, as a charity we are not immune to the cost of living crisis,” she said.
Foodbank Limestone Coast continues to see a steady increase in families seeking help to put food on the table, whether that be in the local Food Hub or through their warehouse for emergency response agencies, or the many programs operating at Foodbank.
“We are experiencing demand from a wider group than before with homeowners and people with jobs among those accessing services,” Ms Neshoda said.
Foodbank SA & NT Limestone Coast currently works with over 130 local charities and schools in the region and has delivered over 500,000 meals in the last twelve months to those struggling to put food on the table.
“We could not do it without our community support, and we are very lucky to live in this generous region,” Ms Neshoda said.
People struggling to put food on the table and in need of assistance can contact Foodbank Limestone Coast on 87230287 to find out how to access food.
