![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/03\/JeffWall_63369.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCHARITY fundraising event the Jeff Wall Golf Classic at Lonsdale Links golf course in Point Lonsdale has raised $12,000 for heart research.<\/p>\n
Jeff Wall suffered a heart attack while out for a run in August 2017.<\/p>\n
It was shocking, unexpected and left wife Wendy Wall and friends asking \u2018Why?\u2019.<\/p>\n
In December 2017, David O\u2019Connor was one of a small group of Jeff and Wendy\u2019s friends who got together to play golf in honour of Jeff for whom golf was a regular Saturday morning activity.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt started as a very impromptu small event four years ago, we purchased a pewter mug and called it the Jeff Wall classic,\u201d Mr O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a day to share stories, have fun and talk about your issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that men are less skilled in discussing their health problems, so it\u2019s about that too.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was initially only about a dozen people involved but then others said they would like to attend and each year attendance has grown.<\/p>\n
Last week a staggering $12,000 was raised for the Heart Foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was extremely well supported by the community, we had nearly 90 participants,\u201d Ms Wall said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day was very successful \u2013 perfect weather for a walk in the park as the saying goes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 80 players had lots of good shots, a few bad, and lots of laughs.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year the group received a $1500 sponsorship from the East Ivanhoe and Heidelberg Bendigo Bank branches, which was matched by both LC Water and Trak Construction.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the day had started, we had already raised $4500 which far exceeded our expectations,\u201d Mr O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
They also had a successful raffle and an auction which was run by Tom Butters auctioneer.<\/p>\n
According to the Heart Foundation, more than four million Australians live with cardiovascular disease and it is responsible for one in four deaths.<\/p>\n
But thanks to research, medications, interventions and community awareness over the last 10 years deaths have been declining.<\/p>\n
Ms Wall previously told the Times that since the Jeff Wall Golf Classic started, five more people in their network had also experienced heart trouble.<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple of them said if it wasn\u2019t for Jeff they wouldn\u2019t have gone to the doctors in the first place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Wall hopes the event will raise awareness about heart disease so others will not go through the same experience.<\/p>\n
More information on reducing the risk of heart disease is available on the Heart Foundation website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CHARITY fundraising event the Jeff Wall Golf Classic at Lonsdale Links golf course in Point Lonsdale has raised $12,000 for heart research. Jeff Wall suffered a heart attack while out for a run in August 2017. It was shocking, unexpected and left wife Wendy Wall and friends asking \u2018Why?\u2019. In December 2017, David O\u2019Connor was […]<\/p>\n