Barbecue cook up set for Friday

Harcourts Ballarat’s Big Blue BBQ takes on bushfire fundraising duty.

THE team at Harcourts Ballarat will be out in the Big W carpark this Friday cooking up a barbecue storm in aid of bushfire relief.

Using their Big Blue BBQ, which is generally loaned out to community groups most of the year, the agents, property managers and admin staff will be fundraising for the Harcourts Foundation.

“The Foundation is donating $50,000 to bushfire relief and have encouraged all the offices to raise money as well,” said Harcourts Ballarat real estate consultant Andy Tunbridge.

“Our funds are being distributed across not just a fundraising group but also the bushfire victims, the firefighters themselves in each region around Australia, as well as wildlife organisations.

“We know that there are Harcourts agencies and some of our colleagues around those fires that are affected.”

The Harcourts Foundation is a philanthropic arm of the real estate agency whose offices cover Australia and New Zealand.

Sales commissions made by agents go towards the fund, while staff members also undertake fundraising activities for the foundation.

That means along with regular contributions to existing efforts, the Foundation can respond to unexpected emergencies.

“When things like this come up the Foundation goes, ‘Right we need to get behind it’ by utilising some of the money in the fund as well as encouraging all the Harcourts offices to get behind it as well,” Mr Tunbridge said.

“Like when there were the earthquakes in Wellington, Harcourts got behind that cause. It’s just how we roll. We don’t just sell homes, we make a difference to peoples’ lives.”

Often the Harcourts Foundation supports causes like Walk A Mile In Her Shoes and the other anti-violence campaigns.

“The Harcourts Foundation has donated over $6 million over the years,” Mr Tunbridge said.

“I came across two years ago and the thing about Harcourts is the culture is incredible. It’s about our core values; people first, fun a laughter, courage.”

With much of what the Harcourts Ballarat team will be cooking up on Friday donated to the cause, that means moneys raised will go back to the Foundation for bushfire relief.

“Sausages will be for gold coin donation,” Mr Tunbridge said. “We’ll also take notes, but not mother-in-laws!

“A lot of the stuff is being donated, so the more we can send off the firies, the better.”

It’s not just the barbecue that’ll be raising funds with Learmonth Road based Bedggoods Motor Group offering up a special raffle prize.

For a gold coin donation, you can go into the draw to win one of Bedggoods’ cars for a day.

“I caught up with Brett Bedggood and we bounced around a few ideas,” Mr Tunbridge said. “A car raffle came up and he said, ‘yep, we’re on!’”

The Harcourts Ballarat’s Big Blue BBQ, along with the chance to win a car for a day will be in the Big W carpark on Friday, 17 January between 11am and 4pm.