- DATE02 March 2019
NRG Services, subcontractors and suppliers have teed off for a cause, raising more than $33,000 at a charity golf day at the Toowoomba Golf Club.
The March event comprised 36 teams of four players each, with each team contributing sponsorship funds towards NRG Services Project Supervisor, Joel Bunter’s participation in Youngcare’s 2019 Simpson Desert Challenge.
Described as the ultimate Australian adventure challenge, the May 30 to June 9 event encompasses a 250 kilometre trek across the Simpson Desert, with each participant climbing more than 1,000 sand dunes while carrying 10 kilogram backpacks in temperatures of up to 40 degrees.
Each participant has a fundraising target of $35,000, with the funds raised supporting the work of Youngcare, a non-profit organisation that provides housing for young people with high care needs.
Thanking NRG Services, the FKG Group and sponsors of the golf day, Mr Bunter cited personal reasons for deciding to undertake the arduous trek for the first time.
“My mother has had a long career in the disability and mental health sectors and this has given me a great understanding of the needs of young people living with disabilities and the financial challenges for non-profits,” he said.
“I hope the trek can make a difference in the lives of these young people and bring attention to their plight, given the lack of suitable and appropriate supported housing for young people with disabilities.”
Among the subcontractors and suppliers to have supported the golf day, Mr Bunter thanked Murray McAuliffe from Gerard Lighting for sponsoring a hole, in addition to donating an extra $5,000 to Youngcare. Mr McAuliffe also generously sponsored a putting green to help raise additional funds for Livin, a non-profit organisation helping to break the stigma of mental health.
Gerard Lighting’s Mr McAuliffe said: “We are proud to contribute to such a worthwhile cause and to support Joel’s efforts in trekking across the Simpson Desert. While Joel’s trek will be challenging, it’s nothing compared to the challenges faced every day by young people with disabilities, including the need for appropriate housing.”
Other contributors to the golf day included Amentco, Bob Jane T-Marts, Diametric Engineers, Sheppard Earthmoving and Toowoomba Holden, among a range of local subcontractors and suppliers to NRG Services, a member of the Toowoomba-based FKG Group.
