FORE! ⛳
Earlier this year, ACSO came together to ‘tee up for mental health’, hosting a Golf Day fundraiser at Traralgon Golf Course to raise money for mental health. And the event was a hole in one, with the day raising around $26,000 for mental health initiatives in the Gippsland area.
The 2023 event was attended by Local Member of Parliament Martin Cameron, who was the official MC and auctioneer, as well as ACSO CEO Vaughan Winther.
“[Their attendance] was so great and meant such a lot to the family team, as well as me, Jen, and the SAS Peer leads and volunteers,” said the Team Leader of ACSO’s Family and Carer Program.
The ACSO Lifeline Golf Day was started by a few Substance Abuse Support (SAS) Peer Leaders who were passionate golfers. Many of them had come across the ACSO Family programs by chance or had been referred to us, and found such relief and comfort in the program that they began brainstorming ways to get awareness of programs out to the local community.
“They had reached a stage of recovery and well-being and now wanted to give back. They wanted every family who was struggling with an addiction issue to know where to find us, and where to find the SAS groups.”
This year, the event was bigger than ever; perfect weather and a full field, with 46 teams playing to raise money for Lifeline and Rotary’s suicide prevention and Mental Health initiatives in the Gippsland region. Altogether, the day raised around $26K, $20,000 of which going to Lifeline Gippsland and the remainder to the Gippsland Rotary Club to help with facilitating local Mental Health and suicide prevention initiatives.
“One of the SAS peer leaders had been referred to the Family Program by Lifeline, so they decided that’s where they wanted any funds raised to go. We were approached by Rotary about a year back to see if we would like to ‘join forces’ and make the day as big as it possibly could be – and what a day it was.”
Hundreds of raffle tickets were sold, countless prizes won, kilos of sausages and onions cooked, and volunteers drove around the course in buggies to hand out food and cold drinks.
The smooth sailing of the day is thanks to the ACSO Family and Carer Program Team, SAS Peer leads and volunteers, and the amazing Rotary and Lifeline crew, who all turned up in force to help.
If you are a keen golfer (or would like to try your hand at the game!), look out for the ‘Tee Up for Mental Health’ Lifeline Golf Day in September 2024. It’s a fantastic event, where you can have a relaxing day on the green, knowing that while you tee off you are also:
- helping to raise awareness of our ACSO Gippsland Family and Carers Support Program
- raising much needed funds for Lifeline
- raising funds for Rotary’s suicide prevention
- and raising funds and awareness of Mental Health early intervention initiatives throughout Gippsland.