The inaugural Big Hit Charity Golf Day was held on a beautiful Friday in mid May 2014, at the Bendigo Golf Club. Symes BMW was our major sponsor. The Big Hit was a fantastic day and a great success, netting around $23,000 for our charity – the Sidney Myer Haven project. This was matched by the Sidney Myer Foundation, making a total contribution to this amazing project of over $45,000.
This superb day of golf for a great cause included a morning networking breakfast for sponsors, 18 holes of golf, and a gourmet buffet dinner. The field was close to full at 133 players. We wrapped it all up with the presentation of great prizes and a monster auction. Special guest celebrities featured throughout the day.
“A huge thanks to all our sponsors, partners, supporters, and teams…”
We can’t let our record of this event pass without mentioning the fabulous Tom Hafey. Tom agreed to be involved in this event as our Celebrity Golfer, and embraced the event and the cause whole-heartedly from the start. Sadly, Tom let us know during the leadup that he’d been diagnosed with a recurrence of melanoma following the removal of one removed 24 years earlier.
Major surgery followed and it appeared he’d get through, but he didn’t fully recover and passed away only 4 days before our event. However Tom, in his inimitable way, stood by The Big Hit and set us up with his mate Peter (Crackers) Keenan in his likely absence. Crackers did a sterling job and made a fitting tribute to Tom on the day.
Tom’s passion for fitness lasted right through to when he passed away and until a month before that time he woke up daily at 5:20 for an 8km run, 250 push-ups and a swim in Port Phillip Bay, followed by 700 crunches and sit-ups. Perhaps his dedication to health and fitness kept him going as long as he did; it certainly kept him in amazing shape physically and mentally and enabled his great work for the community.
We thank Tom’s family, Rhonda, Karen, Joanne and Maureen Hafey, who also continued to support our event right throughout including around the time of Tom’s funeral. Thanks also to Crackers Keenan.
A huge thanks too to all our sponsors, partners, supporters, and teams for making it a magnificent day, and for all the valued contributions. We’d love to have you on board again for the next Big Hit.
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- First: Symes BMW – Matt Leonard, Ryan Jeffery, Darryn Ellis, & Luke Thompson. Nett 52.9
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- Second: Beanys Bandits – Klai Jermyn, James O’Brian, Matt O’Brian & John Howarth. Nett 56.3
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- Third: Missed by this much – Jason Allan, Mark chapman, Jack Allan &Terry Gastin. Nett 56.6
