Fun and fundraising at the 2019 Sports Lunch

By Kris Egan | Media & Events Manager

Last Friday afternoon, members of the extended Abbotsleigh community gathered at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf to attend the biennial Sports Lunch fundraiser.

Now in its seventh year, the Sports Lunch was originally conceived to raise funds for the creation of the Judith Poole Sports Hall. This year, the focus of our fundraising was for our Indigenous Scholarships, which Abbotsleigh provides in a close partnership with Yalari.

With Channel 9 Sports personality James Bracey hosting the event, and a sports panel consisting of Ruan Sims, Louise Stephenson and Jodie Hicks, plenty of fun was had – with a guessing competition, our regular favourite Bat, Ball & Boots, and a slightly fiddly lock lending some unexpected tension to our Lucky Key draw.

But the focus of the afternoon, was – as Foundation Chair, Rob Adams said on the day – raising money for our ongoing scholarship program and facilities. And thanks to the incredible generosity of those who attended, our incredible sponsors, and to those who bid on our silent auction remotely, we managed to raise $160,485 – a new record in the history of this event.

The Abbotsleigh Foundation is deeply thankful to all those who were able to donate during our event. The money raised will result in a positive change to the lives of any number of girls who attend Abbotsleigh as part of our Indigenous Scholarship program, and is a wonderful investment in the future of Abbotsleigh and our girls.

You can view a small gallery of images from the event at this Google Photos link.