The annual Seeds Fundraising Dinner for Westside Community Care took place at the Brookwater Golf & Country Club last month, pulling a record fundraising haul for an important cause.
On Monday, June 12, from 7pm, dignitaries and guests took their seats for a night of auctions and raffles to raise funds for Westside Transformations, the new addiction rehabilitation facility and program based near the Camira Springfield Community Centre.
The event was sold out – and, combining all ticket sales, donations, auctions, and raffled items, the grand fundraising total for the night was approximately $50,000. That figure is comparable to last year’s tally, and several times greater than previous years, going back to the inaugural 2015 affair.
Westside Community Care director Phil Cutcliffe – who is also a pastor at Springfield Christian Family (SCF) church – was thrilled by the result.
“It is only through the generosity of faithful friends in the community that, together, we are able to continue to support and make a difference in the Greater Springfield area,” Phil said.
Pastor Phil thanked not just the generous guests, but all the volunteers who made the event possible – especially lead event organiser Yvette Atkins.
Westside Community Care has been serving the community of Greater Springfield for more than 25 years in cooperation with many local businesses and organisations.
In addition to Phil Cutcliffe, speakers on the night included Springfield City Group’s Raynuha Sinnathamby and SCF co-founder and service pastor Deborah Van Bennekom.
Attendees included Division 2 Councillor Nicole Jonic, Jordan MP Charis Mullen, Terry and Frances Slaughter of IGA Springfield Lakes, Radio Springfield City’s Peter Carey, and The Greater Springfield Times owner and chief editor Paul Jackson.
The ‘Seeds’ name refers to inspirational stories that have come about from the “seeds that have already been sown” by Springfield’s community.
With the increasingly high cost of living, Westside Community Care has been stretched over the last year with hundreds of people seeking additional help.
Last year, it provided hundreds of hampers every week, culminating in a busy Christmas period with an extra 290 Christmas hampers and over 2,000 children’s presents given to struggling families.
See also: Rotary Club raising a toast – and funds – to help transform lives
