Consistent with the theme started in 2017, we held a separate Charity Event in the form of the Forest Rugby 24 Hour Charity Relay.  Amazingly, with efforts from everyone from our Mini’s teams through all the Junior sides and Opens, Girls teams, Seniors and several groups of our stalwart supporters, we were able to run a rugby ball up and down Melwood overall continuously non-stop for 24 hours.  Not even the persistent rain throughout the entire day and night could dampen our spirits.

It truly was a wonderful and special day where everyone from players, parents’ friends and supporters came together and displayed genuine and amazing Club and charitable spirit.  Special thanks to Wallaby Jack Dempsey, Manly Sea Eagles legend Steve “Beaver” Menzies, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Alexandra Hulley, the mayor of Northern Beaches Council Michael Regan, and members of Parliament both State and Federal, Jonathan O’Dea and Jason Falinski for joining it the relay and making it a fantastic experience for those involved.  Amazingly, our achievements on this day were recognised by Jonathan O’Dea on the floor of NSW Parliament.  There can’t be too many rugby clubs who have had that privilege and level of recognition.

The Charity Relay was a huge success and raised over $28,000 meaning we are well on target to raise at least $45,000 by the end of the Charity Day to be held on Saturday 28 July 2018 when we take on University of New South Wales.  Funds this year will support The White Knight Foundation and again Bushlink.

JAC Electrical have been amazing yet again by going back to back as Charity Day Gold Sponsor while AEI Insurance Brokers are welcomed as first time Silver Sponsor.  As usual, first grade will take the field wearing unique and striking one-off jerseys adorning our Charity Partners’ colours and logo’s.

It is shaping as a wonderful day.  Make sure you get there and enjoy the celebrations and hopefully another Forest victory on the field.

We again teamed up with Bushlink, but this year our primary Charity partner was the Manly Community Centre (now known as ‘Community Northern Beaches’) and specifically, their domestic violence and homelessness programs.

2017 was also the first year where in addition to the Charity Day itself, we added a separate event specifically designed to raise funds and build awareness of our important charity partners and their programs.  The inaugural Forest Rugby Club “Sleepout” was held.  Around 24 brave souls not only survived the cold but had an absolutely wonderful and fun time, and slept on the hallowed turf of Melwood Oval in cardboard shanties provided by our Charity Day Silver Sponsor Packsize.  JAC Electrical jumped on board as the Gold Sponsor this year.  Special mention also to the Honourable Tony Abbott MP who was simply fantastic and braved the cold with us, sleeping out on Melwood Oval for the entire night.

Off the back of raising over $27,000, the Club was recognised with a Community Service Award presented to us by the CEO of the Manly Community Centre, the Mayor of the Northern Beaches Council and James Griffin MP.  In the entire history of the Manly Community Centre, they had not received a single larger contribution to support their programs than the $16,000 we provided.  Bushlink were also overwhelmed with the increasing level of support we could provide them.

We started to take a slightly different direction in 2016.  After doing such an amazing job raising over $14,000 in previous years for women’s, men’s and children’s cancer research, the Committee decided it was time to look more locally for worthy charitable causes in addition to issues that have a big impact on our society.  And so began our now long standing relation ship with Bushlink as our ongoing annual secondary charity partner in addition to our relationship with Headspace, the national youth mental health foundation.

The hill at Forest was filled with supporters but what a sight it was as almost everyone donned a lime green wig of some crazy variety which really was a picture to behold.  The sea of lime green in the crowd for Headspace and the lime green Jersey’s worn by first grade were certainly something that were impossible to miss.

We had some amazing donors that year as well, including the Karellas Group of IGA Supamarts and some other individual donors which enabled us to run some great raffles as well.  It was also the first year a special Charity Day sponsor jumped on board and made a financial contribution to the charitable causes for naming rights on the special one-off jerseys.  Allan Hall Chartered Accounts were fantastic as our inaugural Charity Day Gold Sponsor.  Between all these activities and the jersey auction we raised an amazing $18,000.  We provided $12,000 to Headspace and specifically localised programs within our community, with the balance to Bushlink and specifically their disability supported employment program.

We really upped the ante this year and by now, Forest Rugby Charity Day had become a must do in the annual calendar for Forest Rugby Supporters.

Well, by this stage we had supported women’s breast cancer, men’s prostrate cancer so of course we had to round it out and look to raise funds for children’s cancer via our partnership with Redkite.

First grade looked very striking in their red and hint of forest green jerseys and what a success the day was.  We raised $6,000 for Redkite which they were absolutely thrilled with.

Year 2, and this time we looked to support men’s health by partnering with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.  Adorning the distinctive blue of the PCFA, combined with Forest green, the day raised $5,000 mostly via the jersey auction.

A great day was had by all and the spirit of Charity Day amongst the crowd really started to build.  Even at this early stage, we could sense there was something very special about our Club.

The inaugural Forest Rugby Club Charity Day and didn’t the boys look smashing all in pink as we raised over $3,000 for Breast Cancer Awareness.

It was also the birth of the ‘Jersey Auction’ which as those who have been to Charity Day’s since, is something to behold now, as people bid competitively and generously for these much coveted one-off and unique jerseys.

It was the beginning of something very special.