This Sunday, the team known as ‘The Dandaloo Boys’ will be front and centre leading the trucks at the i98FM Illawarra Convoy along with Caltex and Mt Kembla Pub leading the motorbikes.
At midday today, bidding between local companies culminated on air with i98FM Breakfast Show hosts Marty Haynes, Fairlie Hamilton and Ryan Cram.
It was neck and neck as The People’s Truck and The Dandaloo Boys battled it out for top spot. But, it was the boys’ donation of $300,000 that secured the lead for the group that consists of local businesses, The Dandaloo Hotel, Coastal Windows & Doors, Doherty Transport, Illawarra Engineering Services and Snare Fabrication.
The group who gather regularly to enjoy a drink at The Dandaloo Hotel pooled their funds to reach today’s winning amount. Upon hearing the outcome of this morning’s events, Ann Tanks who has been involved with the Convoy for the past 12 years said, “We need to be aware of all these people and the effort they’ve put in and give thanks to each and every one of them. From a dollar all the way through to $300,000, who can believe that our little Convoy has reached the heights it’s reached.”
In addition to the $300,000 winning donation, Derek McMahon from the People’s Truck also contributed $215,000, along with MJ Rowles’ 131,000 and Illawarra Truck Repairs and Spares $102,000.
Yesterday, bidding to lead the motorbikes in the Convoy was carried out with the winning amount of $67,277 going to Caltex and the Mount Kembla Pub, followed by a $24,650 donation from Carr Brothers Motorcycles.
This means that before an engine has even started, the tally of funds raised so far from both the lead truck and bike donations stands at $1,258,177.
The Convoy will depart under police escort from Illawarra Coal’s West Cliff Colliery on Appin Rd at approximately 8:15am on Sunday and follow a route that will take them down Mt Ousley, through Warrawong and past Stockland Shellharbour then onto Croome Road, Albion Park.
The action continues with a free Family Fun Day at the Croome Road Sporting Complex in Albion Park when the registered motorbikes begin arriving from 9:15am and the trucks at approximately 10am. The fun day will see performances by Alex Lloyd, Whispering Jack – The John Farnham Tribute Band, The Villains and The Yatcon Civil FMX Jam – a freestyle motocross display featuring some of the best riders from around the country.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the much-loved charity event would be broadening its focus with a greater charitable reach. The event has been rebadged from the i98FM Camp Quality Convoy to the i98FM Illawarra Convoy to reflect its commitment to supporting a range of groups and individuals. The Illawarra Community Foundation has since been established with all funds raised from this year’s event being distributed to founding beneficiary, Camp Quality along with others who are facing potentially life-threatening issues. Submissions for funding will open come January 2017.