Tarana and Roly Cruic’e’s fundraising efforts celebrated with record attendance

The event’s 15-year anniversary was celebrated with a record attendance

Tarana and Roly Cruice mark the 15-year anniversary since starting their annual Golf Day fundraiser.

FIFTEEN years on, Tarana and Roly Cruice’s dedication to raising funds for cancer-stricken individuals remains as strong as ever.

The husband and wife team, who first became involved with Cancer Council’s Relay for Life in 2006, have gone on to host countless fundraisers with great success.

It would appear good fortune was again on their sides at the weekend, delivering blue skies and record crowds to Sunday’s annual Golf Day event.

The event at Sandy Gallop Golf Club bought in just under 130 eager participants – many of them returning players.

“A lot of our players, who have been coming back year after year, this the only game of golf that some of them play,” Mrs Cruice said.

The beloved event delivered a record attendance.

“It’s a mixture of newcomers and then we’ve got people with reasonably low handicaps that take to the course too.

“They have their own story as why they come, but at the end of the day they all band together and they support us.”

She said the pair were first inspired to undertaking fundraising for Relay for Life after attending an event for the cause about 16 years ago.

LOCAL NEWS: Surgeon vows to mentor growing rate of female doctors

LOCAL NEWS: Ipswich footy legend proud to present medal at gala game

The Golf Day, now arguably their most popular event, combines a day of activity and putting challenges, with a sense of personal reward.

“(Newcomers) join because their friends are playing,” Mr Cruice said.

“We normally only have about three to five major sponsors, but now it’s gone up to about seven or eight.

Attendees enjoy the Golf Day for Cancer Council's Relay for Life.

“We just want to raise as much money as we can.”

A bonus, Mrs Cruice said, was witnessing many of the event’s long-time attendees grow into adulthood throughout the years.

“In those fifteen years, a lot of the attendees started off as young men and now they are here as dads and some of them husbands too,” she said.

“Things (about the event) have to change too, it can’t stay the same, but we love to keep what works and combine it with new things.”

Owner of Sandy Gallop Golf Club Brett Lawton said he admired the couple’s selfless efforts.

“There’s very few people like that will continue to do something like this. It still amazes me that they continue to fundraise so hard,” he said.

“It requires a lot of energy, it’s draining, any time we run an event it’s hard work and to see these guys do it for fundraising just amazes me.”

Read more stories by Kaitlyn Smith here.

Originally published as Tarana and Roly Cruic’e’s fundraising efforts celebrated with record attendance