Caption: Sanbah Surf winning Evolution Advisers Charity Cup. Image: Bosko Photo
A WHOPPING $85,795!
That’s how much money 20 Newcastle surf teams raised for the Mark Hughes Foundation at the Evolution Business Advisers Charity Cup on Friday 23 February.
And there’ll be even more money raised tonight at Newcastle’s Family Hotel, where beer donated by Murrays brewery will be sold and go towards the Mark Hughes Foundation.
While research into brain cancer was the big winner today, it was the team from Sanbah Surf team consisting of Rhys Smith, Jesse Adam, Maddi Poole and Teale Vanner that took out the event’s inaugural trophy at Dixon Park in Newcastle.
And to keep in the spirit of the day, team captain Rhys Smith donated the surfboard shaped by 4-time world surfing champion and Surfest patron Mark Richards back to the Foundation. It was auctioned by Mark Hughes and raised a further $1500 toward the charity.
Two-time world champion Tom Carroll and former Knights team mate, Kangaroo representative and New South Wales state-of-origin captain Kurt Gidley helped spur on surfers who faced a surf conditions affected by a howling nor-easter.
“It blows you away to think a group of businesses get together, and I don’t think you’d get it anywhere else in the world, you’d have a group of businesses get together and raise money by coming and surfing for the day” said Evolution director Darren Glover.
“It just shows the Newcastle community what we are capable of,” he said.
“I’m thinking of words to describe the day,” Mark Hughes told the presentation audience.
“Sick, gnarly, epic- all those kind of words, but it’s been an amazing day.
‘I want to thank Surfest, Tom Carroll and all the amazing local businesses who went out and raised an amazing amount of money. And thank you to all the surfers,” he said.
“The money raised is important. It’s important to the couple who came up to me today and told me they lost their 17-year-old son to brain cancer last year.
“I met another lady today who lost her husband about eight months ago and she’s got four children under 12.
“And it means a lot to me as someone with brain cancer and we need answers. The only way is through research and $85000 means a new research project straight away.
“I hope this a yearly thing,” he said.
Results
Teams Final
1. Sanbah Surf
2. Arcbuild
3. KCE (Gold)
4. Maitland Toyota
Best Wave
Jackson Baker
Best Wipeout
Wayne Dive
Best Supporters
KCE
