For Kate and Jenny from Team Ruby Pinot, fundraising was all about fun – combining music, bingo, singing, dancing, and a whole lot of cheer (just like their team name suggests!).
Kate shares how their Musical Bingo Night created a special night of laughter, friends, and fundraising for their 50km Coastrek challenge in support of Beyond Blue:
“Some friends had been to a Musical Bingo night and raved about how much fun it was, so we decided to check one out for ourselves. The atmosphere was fantastic - everyone singing along to the music, ticking off songs on their bingo sheets… we knew straight away this was our kind of fundraiser!
“Our local bowls club generously offered us the venue free of charge, and we organised the event through the Musical Bingo website. It was simple - we chose our bingo rounds from their list, then on the night, just logged in, matched our sheets, and hit play!
“We created a Facebook event and invited all our friends. It was shared far and wide - through friends of friends, our workplaces, and the bowls club.
“All our prizes were donated, and the letter templates from Coastrek were super helpful when we approached local businesses. They weren’t huge prizes - bottles of wine, chocolates, vouchers for restaurants or beauty salons - but they added fun to the night. We also played a game of heads or tails between rounds to give some of them away!
“We’d absolutely recommend this as a fundraiser - it was easy to organise, and hearing everyone sing along and watching them enjoy the night made it so special.”
But for Kate and Jenny, Coastrek is about more than just fundraising:
“We signed up for Coastrek because we wanted a real challenge. Jen and I have been friends for 27 years - since our first babies were born - and we’ve been through so much together. There’s a third friend, not doing the trek (but cheering from the side line), and the three of us are each other’s go-to when life gets tough. The kind of friends you can bare your soul to and know they’ll be there, no matter what.
“We originally signed up for the 30km walk, but then stepped it up to the 50km, knowing that’s what would push us. We’ve both experienced love, loss, heartache and deep sadness. We’ve walked the journey of depression ourselves and with those close to us, so raising money for a cause like mental health is incredibly meaningful.”
Training has also brought unexpected joy:
“What Coastrek gives you - beyond fitness or the challenge - is time. Time in beautiful places, walking and really talking with your friends. In these past weeks of training, I’ve learned so much more about my friend than I ever expected. It’s been a gift.”
As for what’s waiting at the finish line?
“We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received and can’t wait for the big day. And yes - we’ll definitely be toasting the finish with a bottle of Ruby Pinot!”
