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Eagles Fundraising

Substantial Eagles Donation
Fund raising efforts by Eagles throughout the country in 2009 culminated in the presentation of a cheque for $176,491.28 to Sir Murray Halberg at the recent Halberg Sports Award dinner. The money was raised by Eagles from golf clubs throughout New Zealand primarily through the Halberg Tournaments. Aorangi’s contribution to the total last year was a district record of $6,672. The money goes to support the Halberg Trust’s Sports Opportunity Programme and Activity Fund.

Here, with a replica of the cheque at the function, are Sir Murray Halberg with the
Eagles’ National Secretary, Bernie Lisle (left) and National President Pat Kenny.

Record Funds for Halberg Trust
The Aorangi Eagles’ Golfing Society’s contribution of $6672 to the Murray Halberg Trust this year constitutes a record for the district. The money was raised through the annual men’s and women’s tournaments and levies paid by Society members.

Proceeds from the men’s tournament at Temuka in April were $3424 and from the recent women’s tournament at Pleasant Point $2138.

The Halberg Trust returns this money to the district through the work of its Sports Opportunity Programme and Activity Fund. Together these projects enable people with disabilities to participate in sport and active leisure activities.

Aorangi Eagles’ President Ian Behrnes said this year’s result was a particularly satisfactory one. It was a credit to the hard work of individual Eagles in arranging the tournaments but without the generosity of the many sponsors throughout the district such an outcome was unlikely.

“We are always conscious of the fact that businesses and other organisations in our district are constantly being pressed for sponsorship and we really do appreciate the on going support we receive for this cause”, Ian Behrnes said.

“Sponsorship allows us to present well stocked prize and raffle tables and as a result little trouble is experienced in attracting full fields to our events”

Since its relationship with the Murray Halberg Trust began in 1969 Eagles nationally have raised some $4m in support of the Trust’s work.

This effort led to the founder of the Trust, Sir Murray Halberg, once observing that the work of the Eagles Golfing Society was simply immeasurable. It was almost impossible to put into terms the benefits of their support by helping the Trust remove barriers to enable youngsters with a disability the opportunity to experience playing sport on an equal playing field.

Proud Fundraising Record.
"The work of the Eagles Golfing Society is simply immeasurable. It is almost impossible to put into terms the benefits of their support by helping us remove the barriers to enable youngsters with a disability the opportunity to experience playing sport on an equal playing field” – Sir Murray Halberg, founder of the Halberg Trust.

The association between the Eagles and the Halberg Trust goes back to 1969 when the legendary athlete Jesse Owens was in Auckland to speak at that year’s Sportsman of the Year Dinner. The then Eagles’ President, Leo Hendry, arranged a charity golf day in which Jesse Owens took part. The proceeds helped fund Owens’s visit to New Zealand, the rest going to the Halberg Trust thereby beginning an association which lasts to the present day.

Over the ensuing years the Eagles Golfing Society has raised over $3.5m for the Trust.

In Aorangi this support takes the form of a levy on the subscriptions of members and the staging of the annual tournaments for men and women.

Monies raised in this way come back into the district through the Trust’s Activity Fund and Sport Opportunity Programme. These activities provide substantial grants towards equipment and expenses to enable children and young people with disabilities to be more active more often.

In Sir Murray’s words: "Targeting the additional costs incurred as a result of a disability not only enables the opportunity for the child to participate with their peers, but more importantly enhances their quality of life and provides them with the sense of enjoyment we all experience every time we play sport. Quite simply it’s about inclusion”.