About 110 golfers teed off for Toby Begg and family in an ambrose charity day at the Gunnedah Golf Club on Sunday.
The former Gunnedah resident was injured after being attacked by a shark in Port Macquarie in August 2023 and without hesitation, people set up a Go Fund Me page to support the family.
Andy Formann wanted to assist in the money raising process for the Begg family.
“I did not have a lot of money to give but I thought I could do something to raise some money with his friends who still live back here,” Andy said.
The golf club was happy for Andy to use the grounds to host the day and plenty of sponsors jumped on board for the giving spirit.
The day was partnered with the Gunnedah Miners Support Group who assisted in the donation process.
Andy came into the organising process well prepared after previously organising a charity golf day with the PCYC.
“I knew I could pull it together. It has been a big three months but it all came together in the end,” he said.
The excitement for the golf day spread wide with people from Noosa, Sydney, Lithgow, Newcastle, Bathurst, Port Macquarie and Moree travelling to Gunnedah for the day.
“There had been plenty of people who came from all over to support the day but not only that, the locals have been great too. They have really come together and supported the day as well,” Andy said.
In the end, it was Team Proshop who came out on top with a score of 50 ⅛.
Before the auction, Andy believed the day would break the $10,000 mark and even hoped it would make it to $15,000.
The total smashed that expectation, reaching more than $26,000 with the auction alone raising almost $11,000.
Plenty of items were up for offer at the auction and in particular a surfboard made by Toby.
“I think that will do quite well. It is a one off piece that no one else will have,” Andy had said before the auction.
The interest was certainly there with the surfboard raking in $3000.
Also included in the auction was four nights in Noosa, donated kindly by one of Toby’s family friends, along with Manly and Broncos’ jerseys for those whose interests in sport go beyond golf.
Many of the hungry golfers grabbed lunch at the barbecue sponsored by the Railway Hotel and bought tickets in the raffle along with a 100 club number.
People paid a $5 entry free in hopes to win the $500 hole-in-one prize that Andy donated.
Unfortunately, that prize was not won by a golfer but fortunately was donated with the entry fees back to the day.
NFS-AG brought a large donation to the charity day along with other silent donors.
“A big thank you to the sponsors, a big thank you to NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire and Rescue, they had all helped out with the barbecue. Thank you to all of the volunteers who volunteered their time to help out,” Andy said.
He made special mention to the Gunnedah Miners Support Group, Gunnedah Golf Club, Luke and Ellie Ryan, Ian Jordan and friends and family for helping.
“It would not have been a success without everyone helping,” Andy said.
