Portarlington rallies for Longest Day

MORE than 10 hours of golfing, some played in 40-degree heat, were not enough to stop Portarlington resident Trung Truong from finishing his annual fundraiser this year.

Mr Truong completed his fifth The Longest Day fundraiser on December 16, raising important revenue for Cancer Council Victoria.

In addition to successfully playing four rounds of 18 holes, Mr Truong was supported by dozens of fellow Portarlington Golf Club members, who played in separate groups on the day.

“It was a great day all in all, it was certainly the hardest year physically, but it was very rewarding,” Mr Truong said.

“It’s always a great day and it’s made even better by the difference we make through this event each year.

“I’m looking forward to doing it again in 2025, hopefully it’s a little bit colder.”

Mr Truong individually raised about $1,500, while the club’s wider team surpassed its goal of $4,000 and brought in $4,300 collectively in what was the largest amount raised in a year to date for the club.

The owner of Flying Fox Art Gallery said he felt very emotional walking down the fairway to complete his 72nd and final hole.

He was taken aback by the support the club had offered this year.

“The club was super helpful, even with the caution of the heat ahead of play, they had water stations set up throughout the course to help myself and the rest of the team,” Mr Truong said.

“The temperatures were quite high, obviously, but preparing for the worst, it actually turned out better than we were expecting conditions-wise, which we were super happy about.”

Mr Truong said he would be extremely appreciative of any additional donations that might still be made.

To donate to Trung and Friends online, head to longestday.org.au/fundraisers/trungfriends