Anglesea bowls for mental health

A COMMUNITY bowling event in Anglesea has raised thousands of dollars for mental health research and suicide prevention with hundreds of participants enjoying a beautiful afternoon on the green.

Anglesea Bowling Club hosted its first Bowl For Your Lives fundraising event on Saturday, raising funds for the Black Dog Institute, a mental health research facility based in New South Wales.

 

 

Anglesea Bowling Club president Ben Coyle said the club was ecstatic to raise over $10,000 on the day.

“We’re very proud to announce that Anglesea raised $10,243.50 for the Black Dog Institute,” Mr Coyle said.

“I don’t think we could have asked for a better day to be honest; we were full up and it was a slightly windy day, but it was a terrific afternoon with the community really rallying together.

 

 

“Shane Hafner, from Bowl For Your Lives, was there on the day and he was blown away by what we achieved and the generosity and openness of town and club.”

Guests paid a gold coin for entry, while dozens of raffle prizes went up for grabs donated by businesses from all over the Surf Coast.

Games on the green and social games took place, and live music entertained visitors for the duration of the day.

Bowl For Your Lives is an initiative produced by former police officers Shane Hafner and Cameron Ryan.

The pair assist in hosting days similar to Anglesea’s, showcasing how lawn bowls as a sport and clubs can be a safe space for those suffering from mental health issues.

“The club has never seen anything like this before, they loved being a part of it, we’re a really good club and we do a terrific job of being welcoming and social,” Mr Coyle said.

 

 

“When you look at the list of names of volunteers who helped with the event, you can tell the club has come a long way.”

Mr Coyle said the club is likely to host the event again next year.

For more information on the Black Dog Institute, head to www.blackdoginstitute.org.au