THE 2024 We Care Cally Camp Out event has raised a remarkable $185,000 for South Australian charities to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Major donations announced on the night included $100,000 to the ac.care Murraylands Homelessness Service, $65,000 to Adelaide-based women’s homelessness service Catherine House and $10,000 each to the Vinnies Fred’s Van meal service and the Salvation Army Murraylands Corp.
The inaugural event was presented by major Monarto South family business Australian Portable Camps, including directors Frank and Gino Martino and their staff, as demonstration of their commitment to the regional community.
Hundreds of people turned out to the Callington Oval to enjoy live music by Midnight Radio and Coomsby, performances by Sparky the fire performer, Stunt Juggler Scoot and other entertainers following a Welcome to Country by Ngarrindjeri and Kokatha man Harley Hall.
The family-friendly night of entertainment on Friday, June 21, also included campfires, children’s activities and mechanical bull rides, along with a fireworks finale.
Event spokesperson Kristy Fitzgerald of Australian Portable Camps said organisers were thrilled with the success of the event with an outstanding fundraising result and strong community turnout to enjoy the festivities.
“It really demonstrated the community spirit in the Callington and Murraylands area with people uniting to make a difference while enjoying a night of entertainment,” she said.
“The camp-out showed we care about people doing it tough and can make a difference when we all come together behind a common cause.
“Families welcomed the night of free entertainment under the stars and opportunity to camp out to raise funds to support services for families and individuals struggling with the rising cost of living.”
The event also featured the launch of a food van developed by Australian Portable Camps under the leadership of director Frank Martino to regularly provide meals to people in need of support across Adelaide and the Murraylands.
“We know the rising cost of living is having an impact on many people and as a major business in the region want to make a difference in the community and do our bit to support vital charities, such as ac.care, which is based locally and delivers a broad range of homelessness, emergency relief and family support services across the Murraylands,” APC co-founder Gino Martino said.
“The Cally Camp Out is one way we are giving back to the community that has supported us and providing something for families to enjoy while contributing to the extraordinary work undertaken by local services in often challenging circumstances so they can increase their impact with people in need of support.
“Charities like ac.care and Catherine House are doing remarkable work for people experiencing homelessness and APC is committed to making a difference while demonstrating large companies care about those in need.”
ac.care chief executive officer Shane Maddocks welcomed the major donation at a time when the Murraylands Homelessness Service based at ac.care’s Bridge Street office in Murray Bridge continues to face a dramatic rise in people seeking support.
“The rising cost of living and lack of affordable housing, along with growing issues around loneliness and isolation, is leading more people to seek support from our organisation to secure the stability they need now and build a more hopeful future,” Mr Maddocks said.
“We are overwhelmed with the generosity of the Callington and district community, Australian Portable Camps and many generous supporters locally and across Australia who made the inaugural We Care Cally Camp Out event such a huge success.
“The donation of $100,000 will truly make a difference in helping us achieve our mission of ensuring country South Australians have safe homes, enough money to live on and strong, positive relationships, especially in the Murraylands.”
ac.care continues to lead innovative local approaches to provide tailored support for vulnerable people, such as working with Habitat for Humanity and other partners in development of the Studio Purpose project, which has involved conversion of two disused South Australian Housing Authority properties into apartments to accommodate eight youth at risk of homelessness and connect them with personalised support.
“Fundraising enables us go beyond our government-funded services to sustain our own innovative projects like Studio Purpose to ensure people have the local supports they need to build independence, hope and break cycles of disadvantage so they can achieve independence and stability,” Mr Maddocks said.
“We know we can achieve more meaningful change for individuals by working together with and supported by the community.”
Many businesses contributed to the event, along with community groups and associated charities.
Sponsors included CMV Truck Centre, QCV Australia, Project Communications Australia (PCA), Brice Steel and Coil and Qantac, Australian Camp Services, Add a Bathroom (Fibre Composites International), Armstrong Packaging, Dentons Lawyers, McMilligan Construction, Milwaukee, Nacap, Nasslec Electrical and Waste Water Services.
An online auction also added to fundraising efforts for the event.
