Pictured: the note that accompanied the anonymous donation Click A generous donation from a man rescued off Point Lonsdale’s notorious back beach 50 years ago has helped boost the coffers of the Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club (PLSLSC).
The now deceased anonymous benefactor bequeathed the club $50,000, in cash, out of gratitude for being plucked to safety by life savers.
A note accompanying the money asked that the notes be counted by two “responsible” people.
“We are in the process of determining the exact use of the funds, but they will be used for the purchase of essential gear and equipment to enable us to patrol effectively and ultimately keep the community safe on our beaches,” said PLSLSC President Charlie Pitney.
“We are very thankful for this significant donation and it really puts into context the long lasting effect we can have on the community.”
The gesture was revealed at last month’s annual general meeting (AGM, where the club revealed that despite ongoing pandemic challenges and with some of the “highest beach attendances on record,” it had posted a cash profit of $102,000 last financial year - double the previous year.
Thanks to the anonymous donation and the resumption of the annual Nippers door knock, donations were up by $76,000.
“Season 2021/22 was a bit of a whirlwind. We saw the opening of our new clubhouse and all of the challenges that came with it - getting used to our new building and figuring out how it will operate,” Mr Pitney told the AGM.
“Throw in a little bit of COVID and we had quite a challenging season.
“These figures highlight our resilience as a club. Not only have we bounced back to pre-covid numbers, we’ve smashed them out of the ball park.”
Season highlights, according to Mr Pitney, included the clubhouse opening, resumption after two years of a full Nippers season and the Rip View Swim Classic and a record membership - including 570 new social members.
“The peak summer season over 2021/22 was always going to be a try and see how it goes. We’re pleased that we ultimately had a very successful season and there was a lot of people that were just happy to be in this beautiful new building,” he said.
The now deceased anonymous benefactor bequeathed the club $50,000, in cash, out of gratitude for being plucked to safety by life savers.
A note accompanying the money asked that the notes be counted by two “responsible” people.
“We are in the process of determining the exact use of the funds, but they will be used for the purchase of essential gear and equipment to enable us to patrol effectively and ultimately keep the community safe on our beaches,” said PLSLSC President Charlie Pitney.
“We are very thankful for this significant donation and it really puts into context the long lasting effect we can have on the community.”
The gesture was revealed at last month’s annual general meeting (AGM, where the club revealed that despite ongoing pandemic challenges and with some of the “highest beach attendances on record,” it had posted a cash profit of $102,000 last financial year - double the previous year.
Thanks to the anonymous donation and the resumption of the annual Nippers door knock, donations were up by $76,000.
“Season 2021/22 was a bit of a whirlwind. We saw the opening of our new clubhouse and all of the challenges that came with it - getting used to our new building and figuring out how it will operate,” Mr Pitney told the AGM.
“Throw in a little bit of COVID and we had quite a challenging season.
“These figures highlight our resilience as a club. Not only have we bounced back to pre-covid numbers, we’ve smashed them out of the ball park.”
Season highlights, according to Mr Pitney, included the clubhouse opening, resumption after two years of a full Nippers season and the Rip View Swim Classic and a record membership - including 570 new social members.
“The peak summer season over 2021/22 was always going to be a try and see how it goes. We’re pleased that we ultimately had a very successful season and there was a lot of people that were just happy to be in this beautiful new building,” he said.