Senior members of the Margaret River Hockey Club have expressed their gratitude to community groups and individuals who have helped them achieve the remarkable fundraising target of $300,000 towards the construction of synthetic training turf facilities in Margaret River.
The first group to get on board with the project was the Margaret River Lions Club, and fundraising officer Maxine Williams said the support was invaluable.
"When we first began this fundraising journey we didn't know what to expect or how to approach these organisations to see if they would be supportive of our goal," Ms Williams said.
"Our very first presentation was right here in the Lions clubrooms, where we outlined what we wanted to achieve and the hurdles we needed to overcome.
"The enthusiasm for the project was immediate, and having the Lions' name attached both as a donor and as a general supporter helped us immeasurably."
The Lions' Nigel Vangucci said the project offered training solutions for adults and children from across the region and was an example of the sort of fundraising the club was eager to support.
"This is why we are here, we conduct our fundraising events to generate funds for these important community projects," Mr Vangucci said.
"Without clubs getting together and combining their efforts to establish these sorts of facilities, they simply wouldn't be established."
Ms Williams said a recent community survey conducted by the club indicated around 82 per cent of respondents were very supportive of the construction project.
"At present the teams of the Margaret River Hockey Club all have to train in Busselton.
"For our club to grow, we need to provide a training surface to help players from Margaret River and around the region, to provide facilities for students from the local schools within walking distance, and to make it a more attractive travel proposition for those coming up from Augusta and Karridale."
The planned surface will be multi purpose, meaning other sporting clubs will be able to utilise it.
"We are really looking forward to the next stage and obtaining the green light to proceed with construction."
Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
