Aussie champs raise money for groms

Awaken the Spirit World Champions Ball
Presented by Quiksilver

Auction part of Awaken the Spirit World Champions Ball

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 20 November, 2012 : - - The second annual Awaken the Spirit World Champions Ball presented by the Quiksilver Foundation was held in Torquay, Australia across the weekend and delivered an enjoyable evening for all along with funds to enable 500 underprivileged children to participate in the national VEGEMITE SurfGroms program this coming summer.

The Quiksilver Foundation was setup globally to enhance the quality of life for communities of boardriders and this amazing behind-the-scenes event saw World Champion surfers Stephanie Gilmore, Tom Carroll, Mark Richards and Martin Potter join an all star cast of celebrities to give these children an opportunity to awaken their spirit through experiencing the fun of surfing for the first time.

The second annual Quiksilver Foundation Awaken the Spirit Art Auction & World Champions Ball had the ambitious target of raising enough funds to put 500 underprivileged kids through the VEGEMITE SurfGroms program in 2013. The initiative raised enough funds to sponsor 457 children and the N.J. Innis Charitable Foundation has kindly offered to sponsor an additional 50 kids.

The Quiksilver Foundation is proud to report that with the fantastic support, over $80,000 dollars was raised throughout the weekend, and together with the N.J. Innis contribution 507 disadvantaged kids will now enjoy the ride of their lives.

Quiksilver General Manager Australasia Garry Wall said “We are really excited that we achieved the target of 500 kids that will now get a chance to catch their first wave. It was a big weekend of activities and everyone dug deep for a great cause”.

As Tom Carroll said on the night, “catching your first wave can open so many doors in life.”

Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark was delighted with the amount of pledges to put disadvantaged children through the program.

“The Quiksilver Foundation Ball was an amazing opportunity to raise money for what is such a valuable cause. The purpose of VEGEMITE SurfGroms to build confidence in kids through experiencing the freedom of surfing will be absolutely enhanced to new levels when we put 500 under privileged kids through the program this summer. We sincerely thank the Quiksilver Foundation for organising the initiative”

The fundraising evening, which is an integral part of the Quiksilver Foundation, saw nine unique items auctioned off to raise funds for a united cause.

The ‘Money Can't Buy’ auction items included -

1.    Signed 11 x World Champ Kelly Slater surfboard
2.    A weekend in Byron Bay staying at the Quiksilver Apartments and surfing with Danny Wills
3.    Surfing Experience with Sally Fitzgibbons – World No.2
4.    VIP Trip to the Quiksilver Pro including flights and accommodation with tour guide Matt Hoy
5.    Weekend Experience at Byron Bay
6.    Trip to the Eddie Opening ceremony in Hawaii with Tom Carroll including flights and accommodation
7.    Signed 5 x World Champ Stephanie Gilmore Surfboard
8.    Redbull Stunt Plane Joy Ride over Sydney
9.    The Storm Surfers Experience - Let Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones scare the pants off you!

The Quiksilver Foundation has partnered with Save the Children and Barnardos Australia, charities that specialise in child welfare services, to deliver the VEGEMITE SurfGroms program to 500 disadvantaged children in 2013.

Save the Children is a registered charity here in Australia with a purpose to ‘inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives’.  They are Australia’s leading independent emergency relief and development organisation for underprivileged children in Australia.

Barnados Australia for over 120 years has been at the forefront of child welfare service provision and has embraced a tradition of innovation and taken a holistic approach in their quest to find real, permanent solutions for Australian children in desperate need.  Barnados’ strategy is to support children who may be suffering from, or who are at risk of, abuse, neglect, homelessness or poverty.

http://the-quiksilver-initiative.com/Foundation

Source: Surfing Australia

Author: Tim Brimblecombe

Tags: Tom Carroll, Mark Richards, Quiksilver Foundation

Champs: Surfersvillage