Our heroes this week are the lovely folk at Dunalley and Marion Bay Sailing Club who recently hosted a ‘Pirates of the Peninsula’ fundraising party for Shake It Up. Being in Tasmania, the crew were lucky enough to host an in person event with an auction and loads of pirate-themed fun! Together, they raised an amazing $2,060 for Parkinson’s Research.
We chatted with Alice who helped organise the evening about their motivation.
What drives your commitment to a cure for Parkinson’s?
Every couple of years we put on a big fundraiser party for our local Sailing Club. The funds pay for insurance and repairs on the little boats. This year we were just getting to the planning stage, when a second loved member of our community was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. We decided while raising a little from our ticket sales for our club, we would put on an auction to raise money to help find a cure for this terrible disease. When we spoke to sponsors they often had stories of parents and friends who are affected, and it illustrated how many people have a connection with this disease, and the importance of research into funding a cure.
Tell us about your fundraising.
Our sponsors were extremely generous with gifts for our auction, from products to put in our hampers to big ticket items like nights away in boutique accommodation, yoga vouchers and even a coffee card for 50 free coffees. Our party had a “Pirates of the Peninsula” theme, which suited a sailing club near the Tasman Peninsula, and every guest got on board with their costumes which made for a terrific atmosphere for an evening of fundraising.
Our sponsors:
Ratho Farm
Van Bone Restaurant
LuLuLemon
Alcheme (yoga studio)
The Dead Maggies
DJ Spaceman
Leap Farm
Fulham Aquaculture
Cape Bernier Vineyard
Gala Estate Vineyard
Deep South Brewing
Uncle Alby’s
Gillespies Ginger Beer
Splendid Gin
Bream Creek Dairy
Willie Smiths
Lost Pippin Cider
Salon Kin
Bangor Vineyard Shed
Salty Dog Hotel
Courtney Drew Catering from A’petit Bistro and Bar
What advice do you have for others looking to ‘shake things up’?
My best advice to “Shake things Up” would be to make fundraising fun. Our sailing club is for children, and we had an adult’s dress up party. The children became involved by hand drawing coasters and making decorations for the hall. I think it is important for children to know about disease, and know that even little things, like hosting a fundraiser in a community hall, can help one day find a cure. It is also important when people get a diagnosis to see the support they have around them. The success of our event wasn’t just in the money we raised, or the fun we had, but for people to know we love them and are raising money to fight the disease alongside them.
Could you fundraise to make a difference? There are heaps of ways to get involved in fundraising, even if you are currently under local restrictions. Find out more today.
