January 27, 2010
What do a benevolent businessman and a bunch of underprivileged kids have in common?
The answer is: The Member for Elder (and Minister for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure), Hon. Patrick Conlon MP.
When Mr Conlon recently received an impassioned plea from a southern suburbs youth support group in urgent need of funding for a new vehicle, he rang Pickard Group founder and philanthropist, Gordon Pickard.
The result was a $25,000 cheque from the Pickard Group to cover the cost of a Toyota 4WD “Troop Carrier” which will take needy kids as far afield as southern surf beaches and Central Australia on programs run by Melrose Park-based Adelaide Campus Life Youth Guidance Inc .
Campus Life – established 30 years ago - is a Christian based charitable organisation committed to helping young people in need.
Campus Life Coordinator, Trevor Borg, said it was often very difficult for small non-Government organisations to raise funds for expensive but very necessary needs such as vehicles – making Mr Conlon’s connection and Mr Pickard’s donation “very important”.
“Twice a week, we ferry our kids to and from their homes to our club; every week we deliver bread donated from Bakers Delight at Glenelg to families in need; on weekends we take kids out of their regular environment to go surfing and every year, we take up to 40 of our kids to Central Australia,” Mr Borg said.
“Gordon’s generosity will make it easier for us to reach the people who need our help and give them the experiences they need to turn their lives around.”
Further information: Tim Hughes at Hughes Public Relations on 0417 788 891.
