Dean Blackborough
President
Coolum Beach Breakers JAFC
The Coolum Beach Breakers Junior Aussie Rules Club held their first Kick-A-Thon fundraising event on Friday July 16 and kicked more than a few goals in the process. After a few years of holding labour intensive Trivia Nights which required many weeks of volunteer door knocking on local businesses asking for generous prize donations, the committee decided to try a Kick-A-Thon where players attract donations from family and friends for every metre they kick.
As the club is still without proper facilities or oval lighting the event was held at the Caulfield Chambers oval just behind the Coolum RSL, with many thanks to Marty Bristow from the Coolum Cricket Club and John at the Crusaders Soccer Club who offered the space to our club for the event.
With prizes such as Apple Airpods and Fitbits donated by Noosa Officeworks, skateboards donated by Bold Kitchen Designs and the RACV Noosa donating our major accommodation prize, the players jumped online quickly to register. Rallyup.com is a fundraising platform discovered by our Treasurer Ryan Mitchell who customised a donation page to match our event.
Registered players could send a unique link to family and friends who could be local, interstate or overseas for them to enter their pledge or flat donation. Also available through the platform was the option to stream the event online through our Facebook page. We had family from Ireland tuning in to watch their grandkids, which was an amazing opportunity to be able to provide.
Sunshine Coast food favourites the Donut Kitchen came along in their van to feed the masses with delicious sweet filled donuts as well as cheese and chicken burger meals and Zimbas Coffee provide the hot beverages on a cool evening.
Previous fundraising events have netted the club $4-6K and although the events have been entertaining and enjoyable, they were nothing compared to this year’s Kick-A-Thon which of course was more about the kids. Thanks to the ease of the Rallyup platform the club, through its wonderfully supportive members and their families raised an impressive $16,725! We also sold nearly $1000 dollars of club merchandise on the night.
Special thanks to local businesses TJ’s Car Detailing and Eastell & Co as well as our many other sponsors and volunteer coaches who assisted on the night. An especially big thank you to BOQ Coolum for their amazing contribution of sponsoring a player $100 per metre!!! We can’t run community clubs without sponsor support and we are extremely grateful for the assistance we have received this season. We can’t wait for next season’s event, which promises to be just as good. Go Breakers!!!
