The Wayne Riley Ladbrokes Legends’ Pro-am to be staged on Friday, November 23, at Hurstville Golf Course, will attract some great professional stars but, most importantly, has been a wonderful revenue fund-raiser for the recent improvements to the St George Cancer Care Centre.
The Georges River Council mayor Kevin Greene, Phill Bates and Barry Fisk, members of Hurstville City Council’s Board of Governors, staged the first pro-am in 1987 as part of Hurstville’s Centenary.
In 2003, both Kevin Greene and Phill Bates formed a committee and linked with Lions Clubs of Lugarno and the Lions Club of St George.
With the support of Hurstville City Council they commenced staging an annual charity day to support the construction of the first ever Prostate Cancer Institute in Australia, located at St George Hospital.
Ten years ago, they added a pro-am staged annually in November which has been a huge success in promoting Hurstville Golf Course and supporting the expansion of the Cancer Centre.
The committee, then decided to recognise the golfing achievements of Hurstville’s Wayne Riley, a former Australian Open winner and now an accomplished international commentator, with naming rights to his home course legend’s Pro-am.
Eleven registered clubs from the St George area supports the Ladbrokes Legends Pro-am day as well as many businesses, which have been instrumental in backing both the charity and Pro-am days.
Both Lions clubs have been instrumental in supplying support for the days, the necessary manpower, serving food and refreshments and the odd raffle or two.
Through the generous support of the people who support the golf days, the St George Cancer Care Centre has been the benefactor with in excess of $500,000 contributed to the community committee towards the building works.
Cr Greene, as well as a keen golfer, is looking forward to Lucien Tinkler, winner of the Hurstville Centenary Pro-Am back in 1987, returning to Hurstville for the Legend’s Pro-am.
“The golf events staged at Hurstville Golf Course have continued to expand through the support of a network of businesses, sponsors, Bluefit and the many people, especially the Lions clubs, who give up their time to help make it a very special day,” Cr Greene said.
The Cancer Care Centre is nearing completion and the community committee, now headed by Chairman Warren O’Rourke, will have raised in excess of $16 million to ensure that the Cancer Care Centre will be able to cope with the number of cancer patients requiring first class facilities.
Warren O’Rourke said It has been one of the greatest community undertakings in the St George region .
“Its gone from building the 15 unit Cancer Care Lodge, Bezzina House, opened by Governor Gordon Samuels in 1998 through to the expansion of the Cancer Care Centre to build the Prostate Cancer Institute, then two levels of clinical trials and 350 square metres of office space on top of the Pitney Building, to the linking of the two buildings as well as the expansion of the Haematology Oncology Day Centre, with the Chemotherapy area now more than fivetimes the size.”
“With the support of the Hospital, NSW Government, the medical staff, three mainstays in public officer Phill Bates, Brian Langton and building convenor and vice chairman Rob Robson, much has been achieved that will benefit the community for decades to come,” Rourke said
Fifteen of the eighteen chemotherapy chairs have also been sponsored and there is just three available which you can secure naming rights for $10,000 for each of the chairs.
If interested you can contact Phill Bates on 9553 4288.
