Fundraising for Causes

As well as delivering our own projects, our club actively raises funds and provides donations to local and international causes. We do this by operating the Kiosk at the popular Thorndon Park Reserve, our community BBQs, and a range of other activities throughout the year.
 
Our donations have sponsored:
  • Organisations that provide medical treatments in developing countries - including eye surgery and transfers to Australia for larger operations.
  • Disaster relief and assistance for victims/communities in conflict and post conflict situations.
  • Technical support and equipment donations for community development initiatives in developing countries.
  • Local social supermarkets and food relief charities.
  • Local community clubs.
  • Youth Programs, including leadership scholarships, career development programs, and driver safety programs.
  • Rotary Foundation and Rotary International projects.
Thorndon Park Kiosk
In 1998, our Club acquired the Kiosk at Thorndon Park Reserve, with the intention that it would be a valuable community service to park goers, while offering a permanent source of fundraising revenue. Since this time, the park and the kiosk have undergone many ups and downs (including fire damage and vandalism, and several lean years). However, over this time, the park has undergone substantial redevelopment to become one of the most popular parks in the Eastern suburbs.  
 
To ensure the kiosk's viability and to maximise community benefit, we manage and staff the kiosk ourselves - club members and friends take turns to voluntarily work in the kiosk on weekends and public holidays. As a result, this successful fundraiser provides our club with significant funds each year to direct towards our projects, while offering a much-loved community service - particularly our ice creams on hot days!! Why not come by and say hello?!
Community BBQs
Our specialty is cooking gourmet sausages and steak sandwiches with our modern mobile BBQ catering trailer. We cook at major functions, as well as at many local events, raising funds for local and overseas projects. As well as fundraising, we also provide a free BBQ service for local community groups and causes throughout the year.

BBQ TRAILER STORY

This is a little history of the present BBQ Trailer we have and how it evolved into one of our most important projects, and of all the hours, enjoyment and hard work we have all put in over the years making it what it is.
 
The volume of product that has touched the BBQ cooking plates is astounding - the sausages, onions, steaks, gourmet sausages, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, toad in the hole, vegetarian burgers, meat burgers, pancakes, chops, bacon and egg sandwiches. Fun fact: the trailer can cook approx 300 sausages at a time, 15-20kgs onion per plate, 10-12 pancakes at a time per plate.
 
The BBQ Trailer Concept-Proposal was put to the Board as a proposal 19th Sept 2001. Once the proposal was accepted, a suitable trailer was purchased from Tregonnings (TREG Trailers), 6x4, high sides, Regs for $900.00. Tyres and wheels were supplied by a Rotary member, Kym Davis - Bridgestone Tyres. Maxbilt Trading supplied all the 3 x Cooking Plates, 12 x Burners, Fittings, Valves, Regulator, 2 x 9kg cylinders etc. Plasteel supplied some steel and stainless materials etc where necessary. Signwriting was added by a Jakes Signwriting.
The trailer fit-out was put together by Peter Dodd and Graeme Packer, working at the Rotary Shed on Saturday or Sunday mornings or when time was available.
 
Over the years, Club members have cooked for an enormous array of events, occasions, and causes, including:
  • Breakfast in the Park
  • Rotary Disco’s
  • Rotary 1st Meeting in the New Year
  • USA Visits
  • Porsche Car Club
  • Mitre 10 Glynde
  • MG Car Club – Melbourne Group
  • CARA (Community Accommodation & Respite Agency-Cooking for Christmas Party, Sunday Picnics, City to Bay Runs (Breakfasts)
  • Star Organisation Disco’s
  • UNI SA
  • Multi-Cultural Festival of SA
  • Resolution Runs
  • Shed Sales
  • Campbelltown City Council Events
    • Xmas Parades 2010-2014
    • Celebrates/Proud Days 2006-2013
    • Moonlight Markets 2011-2014
    • Australia Day Citizen & Awards
    • Hazards Day
    • Dog Park Opening
    • Festival SA
    • Pictures in the Park CCC Youth Group
Adelaide City Council
  • ACC Bus Terminal
  • ACC Recycle & Swap Meet
  • Australia Day 2007, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, have Tour Down Under and Breakfasts during this period.
  • Festival SA
  • Adelaide CC Skate Park
 
Over the years, somewhere along the way, many of you -members, partners, and volunteers - have provided your help, cooked, swelted on the extreme summer days, helped to serve the food, used the tongs until you have the automatic twist, or the grab of picking up sausages, onions, steaks etc, and been very exhausted at the end of the day, and smell appropriately of onions, sausages etc.
 
A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL, WHO HAVE DONE THEIR SAUSAGE/ONIONS (CAN’T LOOK AT ANOTHER ONE AGAIN). UNTIL NEXT TIME WHEN WE NEED YOU TO GRAB A PAIR OF TONGS AND COOK OR SERVE AGAIN.
 
By Graeme Packer