Alocal charity auction has raised thousands of dollars for suicide prevention.
Castec Rural Supplies, which is the long standing name rights partner of the Mount Gambier Pioneers, and the club joined together to support suicide prevention for all Australians.
Recently the Pioneers hosted the 2024 Lifeline game in which the men’s team wore yellow Lifeline branded uniforms.
The players’ singlets were later auctioned off, with funds being donated to charity.
Castec Rural Supplies managing director Chris Castine and the Pioneers Basketball Club initiated the theme game in 2016, and eight years later more than $25,000 has been donated to Lifeline following local donations and the singlet auctions.
Lifeline is Australia’s leading suicide prevention service, in which the national charity provides all Australians experiencing a
personal crisis with access to 24-hour support.
The club and representatives of Castec Rural Supplies came together recently to present a cheque for $7450 from this year’s singlet auction to representatives of the local Mount Gambier Lifeline branch.
“Each year, over one million Australians reach out to Lifeline for support. This is an important organisation run by volunteers who do an amazing job, especially in regional Australia where a lot of their calls come from,” Mr Castine said.
“If we can help just that little bit here in the Limestone Coast and western Victoria, so there are enough volunteers to take the calls, then no person has to face their darkest moments alone.
“The Pioneers have been a great team to accompany with getting our and Lifeline’s message out there, and we thank them very much for what they also do in our community.”
Club president Tom Kosch said the Pioneers continued to be active in the community and were always looking for opportunities to connect with organisations that share equal values to help deliver good outcomes for all
“The Pioneers Basketball Club thank Chris and the Castine family for their continued support of our basketball club and look forward to continuing to support Lifeline and other local organisations and charities for years to come,” he said.
“Castec Rural Supplies have supported the Pioneers as naming right partner of the club’s men’s program since 2010.
“Without our naming right and major partners supporting our club, we would not be able to compete at the level that we do.
“The support that Chris and the Castine family have been extremely loyal to our basketball club over the journey and to be able to support them with the Lifeline game has been extremely valuable to both the community and our club.”
