Graphic: RFDS Victoria holds its first gala dinner in three years
The Going the Distance gala dinner is traditionally RFDS Victoria’s night of nights. The annual event is a celebration of our successes from the last year, and is an important occasion to thank our steadfast supporters.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been unable to hold this event since 2019; however, the gala was given the green light to resume this year, and the event took place at The Glasshouse in Melbourne on Thursday 6 October. A total of 410 tickets were issued, resulting in a record number of attendees.
To celebrate its renewal for a second season, the theme of the gala was the RFDS TV show. Many of the show’s cast and crew attended the evening, including Emma Hamilton, Stephen Peacocke, Rodney Afif and Ash Ricardo, while Trevor Ashley, who played drag queen Dolly Hardon on the show, appeared as a surprise musical guest during the night.
In addition to many dedicated donors, the guest list included a number of our corporate partners and contractors. Gorgi Coghlan graced the stage as MC for the evening, and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp, formally opened the event. We would like to thank everybody for their attendance, enthusiasm and generosity; in total, we raised an incredible $150,000, which is inclusive of an astounding $50,000 donation from the Pratt Foundation.
We would also like to thank all those organisations that donated items to our live and silent auctions, including:
- Amora Hotel
- At Your Table
- Bayadherra
- Carmel at Sorrento
- Collingwood FC
- Commune
- Crown
- Delaware North
- Four Pillars
- Gold Coast FC
- Koko Lane
- Lancemore Lindenderry Hill
- Melbourne and Olympic Parks
- Microflight
- Naked for Satan
- Oris
- Peppers Moonah Links Resort
- Richmond FC
- Saddler and Co
- SleepMaker
- Timboon Distillery
Additionally, a big thank you to our wonderful business partners for supporting this event – APT, Cooper Energy, Delaware North, Melbourne and Olympic Parks, Oris, SleepMaker, Kakadu Traders Australia and Oakdene Vineyards.
Finally, a very special thank you to Endemol Shine, Channel 7, the cast and crew of RFDS, Melissa Perkins, Peter Jones Special Events, Bernard Hooley and Kelvin Shelley from the Australian Wool Network.
