RECORD FUNDS RAISED AT ISAAC MAYOR’S CHARITY BALL

RECORD FUNDS RAISED AT ISAAC MAYOR’S CHARITY BALL

More than $100,000 has been raised to support on-the-ground mental health initiatives for residents in the region thanks to the Isaac Regional Charity Fund.

The funds were raised during the 300-strong crowd at the sold-out 2021 Mayor’s Charity Ball in early August under the stars at Moranbah Town Square.

Mayor Anne Baker, the chairperson of the fund, said this support demonstrates the difference pure people power can make in the lives of others.

“A heartfelt thank you deserves to go to all the supporters and sponsors,” she said.

“We all have a level of responsibility to be aware of our own mental health and that of family members, work mates and community members.

“Let us all continue to empower the conversation about mental health.”

Mayor Baker said many courageous people from all walks of life are increasingly prepared to speak openly of their challenges with mental illness.

“We are doing this from a position of strength, understanding and empathy not from failure or fear. I think that sends a positive message to us all,” she said.

“As a region, we continue to face our share of tragedy and adversity in this COVID world we find ourselves in.

“It is evident from the community to the coalface that there is a willingness to engage in a genuine conversation about our state of mind.

“It is no longer simply a case of harden up, move on or deal with it. It is unhealthy and unsafe to have people shielding their pain, grief, anxiety and fear behind a strained smile or a stiff upper lip.

“We need to talk, support and engage in genuine self-reflection.”

Between 2014 and 2019, the Isaac Regional Charity Fund has raised more than $330,000 for worthwhile causes, particularly mental health initiatives.

One of these initiatives included funding a nationally-recognised mental health foundation – headspace – to provide a series of workshops to help bolster teaching staff across Isaac.

Based in Mackay and covering the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac regions, the Youth and Community Engagement Team from headspace Mackay toured Middlemount, Clermont, Dysart, Glenden and Moranbah secondary schools to give a helping hand, thanks to the Isaac Regional Charity Fund. The headspace-hosted sessions focused on giving school staff the essential tools to help students cope with difficult situations.

Call the Office of the Mayor on 4846 3524 or email mayorsball@isaac.qld.gov.au to find out more about sponsorship or pledge opportunities. The Isaac Regional Charity Fund is a deductible gift recipient, which means it can receive tax-deductible gifts.

ENDS