Mayor’s Charity Ball helps raise $121,000 for kids in need

Published: 24 Jul 2019

The 2019 Mayor’s Charity Ball broke all records and helped raise $121,000 which will make a real difference to the lives of Mackay kids impacted by domestic and family violence.

The event, held in late May, attracted record corporate sponsorship of $50,000 and a record attendance of 338.

Sunrise Rotary Club of Mackay, which has staged the event for the past 15 years, today officially handed over $71,000 in funding to the Domestic Violence Resource Service (DVRS).

Combined with $50,000 donated by the Mackay Foundation on the night of the ball, that means the local service will have $121,000 to provide extra counselling for Mackay kids in need.

The $71,000 was officially presented at a council morning tea today where sponsors were also thanked.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the record amount raised by this year’s event was a tremendous outcome.

“We wanted to have one cause for the proceeds of this year’s ball and make a tangible difference in an area of our community which is crying out for help,’’ he said.

“With input from Sunrise Rotary and major sponsors, we chose the Domestic Violence Resource Service.

“They were a good fit with the work council is doing in this space through the Mayor’s DV Taskforce.

“When we heard there could be as many as 500 Mackay kids impacted by domestic and family violence missing out on help it was an easy choice to make.”

Council and the MECC played a greater role in this year’s Mayor’s Charity Ball, joining an organising committee with Sunrise Rotary Club.

“The event has been the main fundraiser of the Rotary Club for many years and they’ve done a wonderful job with it,’’ Cr Williamson said.

“We wanted to help build on that success and see if we could help raise even more corporate sponsorship and funds for charity.”

Mackay Women’s Services executive director Dr Anne Butcher said the funds would make a real difference by providing extra counselling services.

“We had to cease receiving external referrals from other services, or for individuals for their children, about 18 months ago as demand was overwhelming,’’ she said.

“These funds will enable us to provide extra counselling services for children caught up in domestic and family violence and sexual abuse who would otherwise miss out on help.”

Outgoing Sunrise Rotary Club president Pauline Townsend said the club was delighted with the success of this year’s Mayor’s Charity Ball.

“Having council and the MECC come onboard to help us take this already very successful annual charity fundraiser to another level was fantastic,’’ she said.

“We all worked well together as an organising committee and the results were amazing. We’re all very proud of what was achieved.”

Platinum sponsors of this year’s event in included DGH Engineering, which has supported the ball for a decade, Fergus Builders and Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal.

Other sponsors include Pointglen (gold), Almann Partners, DBCT Management, North Queensland Bulk Ports, Envision Plastering Constructions Pty Ltd, Adani and Workpac (bronze), and club sponsors Uniform Solutions and Inspire Accounting and Business Services.

Media partners included Channel 7, Triple M 98.7, Daily Mercury and Tropical Exposure.

In-kind support was provided by Sunrise Rotary, council, the MECC, Snap Printing and In the Booth.