26th Annual Robert Allenby Golf Day and Gala Dinner

News: 4 December 2017

In its 26th year, the Robert Allenby Golf Day and Gala Dinner has never failed to deliver, and this year was no exception!

Taking place at the prestigious Yarra Yarra Golf Club, this two-part occasion teed off under what was arguably Melbourne’s best golfing weather! The course, abuzz with excitement, was in immaculate condition and the greens ran true. This year, our 2017 golfers were also joined by some special guests – two of Australia’s golfing prodigies, Su Oh and Olivia Kline, as well as comedian Sam Pang and AFL legend Jonathan Brown. Su and Olivia led the way and although Sam can always manage to make us laugh and Browny can always slot us a goal, we aren’t so sure their respective talents translate so well into the game of golf.

However, while the day was primarily all fun and laughs, the competition was still fierce as everyone vied for ultimate glory –  the illustrious Winners’ Cup. This year’s lucky winning team also went home with a measured and personalised set of golf clubs thanks to Mizuno!

After teeing it up all day long, it was time to let it fly at the Gala Dinner.  As sun-kissed faces lit up Crown’s Palladium, it became evident that some forgot to slip-slop-slap. But not even the worst sunburn could hinder what was an unforgettable night, from outstanding food – courtesy of Australian executive chef of the year – Chef Kelly, to non-stop entertainment – thanks to our most wonderful and much-loved host, Tom Gleisner, the spectacular team at Transit Dance and DJ Tricky – we are certain our guests left the event with full stomachs and a few additional laugh lines!

The Supper Club was yet again a hit and all auction items – both silent and live – seemed to impress. With salted caramel gelato and virtual reality experiences, it’s hard to see why anyone would have gone home disappointed!

Time is an elusive construct and in life, it seems to fly by unwittingly; but the Allenby event gives everyone the chance to let time stop for a moment and enjoy the simple things in life whilst in the company of fantastic people.  And amidst all the fun and excitement of the day, the event did not detract away from the reason why we were all there – to raise funds to support families living in the difficult circumstances of having a child with cancer.

International Patron of Challenge, Robert Allenby himself, delivered a heartfelt speech about his passion for helping others and paid tribute to good friend and Challenge ambassador, Jarrod Lyle. Challenge would like to thank Robert for his ongoing support and unwavering dedication to our organisation and assistance in making life brighter for children and families living with cancer.

Thank you for your support, as a result we are able to continue to make life a little easier for families, and help to give them some respite from the trying times of cancer and treatment.

Additionally, we would like to like our major sponsors, as without your incredible support and kindness we would not be able to raise the necessary funds to deliver our programs and services to our families. Thank you to Crown, Staging Connections, Focal Promotions, ALH Group, Yarra Yarra Golf Club, Mizuno, Transit Dance, Volvo Cars Brighton, Bushnell Golf, Impact Digital, Heritage Chocolates, Fleischer Cakes and Graphic VM.

Challenge would also like to extend our thanks and acknowledge the outstanding support from all the businesses that contributed to the Main and Silent auctions and to auctioneer, Michael Wood from Marshall White – there were so many incredible items which all helped to raise vital funds for our families.

Lastly, to all our amazing volunteers, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts! Without all your commitment and generosity, we would not have been able to hold an event like this for its 26th consecutive year now.