St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Recovery Support Services, Port Macquarie Sunrise Rotary and Port City Bowling Club are hosting a Barefoot Bowls fundraising evening for the flood-affected communities of Telegraph Point and surrounds on Friday 18 February. The event aims to raise funds to help those in need and raise awareness of how many lives are still severely impacted ten months later.

The devastation of the 2021 floods is still impacting people’s lives in our community today. People are still living in vans and cars on their driveways because their homes were destroyed and are still uninhabitable. If that wasn’t enough, a shortage of rental properties, builders and building materials are more challenges. Before the floods, fires previously impacted many of these families, and now the COVID-19 pandemic continues to test their resilience.

There has been an enormous amount of outstanding work achieved to date supporting these communities, and there is an ongoing need for more support and compassion. Peter Johnson, St Agnes’ Catholic Parish General Manager, Risk, Compliance & Safety, believes that locals supporting locals and community engagement are essential elements that make Port Macquarie such a special place to live. “When we support each other, and people feel the support of their community, it opens up opportunities and empowers everyone involved. “

“We are excited to be a part of this community partnership with Port Macquarie Sunrise Rotary and Port City Bowling Club to host the Barefoot Bowls fundraising event. This activity requires no bowls experience, just a willingness to have a go. The entry fee is $25 per player, which is fully tax-deductible, and all proceeds go towards supporting the flood-affected communities of Telegraph Point and its surrounds.” Your family, a sporting team, a group of work colleagues or a few of your closest friends are just some of the many ways you could field a team and participate in this local event and help raise much-needed funds. It will be an all-weather event, with the bowling taken indoors should the need arise.

This event is open to all ages; you must be aged ten or over if bowling. Port City has also placed collection points throughout the Club to contribute to the fundraiser, so if you are in the Club in the coming weeks, please consider placing a coin in the box. Every dollar counts!

We would be grateful for any business donations towards the raffle, all of which are tax-deductible, from anyone wanting to help with this fundraiser. Contact Kerry from St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Recovery Support Services for more details on how you can contribute on 0460 023 755