Former Olympic cyclist Anna Meares presents Wheel Classic riders with awards
The 2016 Future2 Wheel Classic has raised more than $105,000 to help the Future2 Foundation continue to support community not-for-profit organisations with programs for socially and financially disadvantaged young Australians.
The fundraising total was announced by the chief executive officer of the FPA, Dante de Gori, during the 2016 FPA Professionals Congress in Perth this week.
This year 19 riders set off on the Wheel Classic ride, which started and finished in Perth.
“It is tradition that the riders ride up until the FPA Congress,” de Gori said. “They all rode in today and they’re no doubt a bit sore and sorry. But they’re all here safe and sound. There are a few awards to give to acknowledge the riders and the money they have raised.”
The Jack Griffin Memorial Award for the rider with the highest individual fundraising result was presented to Philip Win, who singlehandedly raised more than $7000.
The Susan Grice Honorary Award for the highest team fundraising result went to Iress. And the Purple Pedal Award for the most courageous rider was presented to Shaun Weston-Cole.
Wheel Classic rider Dave Dyson produced a blog from the road, covering the riders’ exploits which included close encounters with B-double trucks, and kangaroos.
No big deal, just a local kangaroo giving us directions #FPACongress #yesterday #F2WheelClassic pic.twitter.com/KeC4b9DHk3
— Future2 Foundation (@Future2Foundn) November 22, 2016
The Wheel Classic is a major contributor to Future2’s annual fund raising activities, and helps underpin the work Future2 does in supporting disadvantaged young Australians
This year the foundation selected seven new grant recipients from more than 90 applications. Each will receive $10,000 and these new grants, along with the continuation of multi-year grants previously made, take the total amount distributed by Future2 in 2016 to $147,000.
The 2016 grant recipients are:
Multicultural Youth South Australia Inc, Adelaide, SA
Kimberley Group Training, Kununurra WA
West Moonah Community House, West Moonah, TAS
EACH – Headspace, Port Macquarie, NSW
BestLife Inc, Carindale QLD
The Carevan Foundation, Albury, NSW
Warringarri Media Aboriginal Corporation, Kununurra WA
The chair of Future2, Matthew Rowe, said the higher grants in 2016 were possible “thanks to the generosity of FPA members, and many others connected with the financial planning profession, who rallied to help make a meaningful difference to their communities”
The FPA presented the 2016 Future2 Community Award to Kathy Havers, from Catalyst Financial Group in Melbourne. Havers also won the award in 2014.
The Future2 Community Service Award recognises FPA members who have made an outstanding contribution to improving the circumstances of the most socially excluded or financially disadvantaged members of the community in a pro bono, volunteering or community service capacity.