i98FM’s Illawarra Convoy has raised a record $2,850,000 for the Illawarra Community Foundation.
Taking place on November 19, the convoy saw 779 trucks and 633 motorbikes travel 70km from Illawarra Coal’s West Cliff Colliery at Appin to the Shellharbour Airport.
This year’s convoy boasts the largest amount raised in a year, only eclipsed by 2021’s result of $3,047,473, which also included funds from “The House that Convoy Built” project.
The total funds raised now reaches just over 25 million dollars since the events inception in 2005.
Huge crowds turned out for the annual family fun day at the airport, with approximately 17,000 people in attendance throughout the event.
Highlights included performances from Ricki-Lee & Thirsty Merc, supported by local artists The Goat featuring Tim Stevens, Kate Young Angie Childs and friends, The Vandastruts, Altered States and Polly Hazelton.
After a fight for the top spot, Menai Haulage led the pack with a winning bid of $300,001, the highest amount bid across both trucks and bikes this year.
Tiny Tins & Wollongong Crane Trucks contributed $261,000, followed by the RMK Group at $100,000 and Best Sheds & Wollongong Car Carriers at $84,000.
Murrell Freight Lines contributed $80,000, with another 45 groups also contributing to the lead truck pack.
Leading the motorbikes in the Convoy with a record-breaking lead bike bid of $252,000 was Coles Illawarra stores, with over 1180 staff taking part in year round fundraising.
Throttle Jockies took out second place with a $83,000 bid, followed by Motocity at $53,126.53, Kye’s Convoy Dream at $40,000 and Bikers 4 Heroes at $17,339.74.
Convoy manager Mark Rigby says, “For our fundraising teams and businesses to achieve such successful results, with interest rates and the cost of living rising, is simply incredible”
“Many of these teams have held fundraising events right through the year to achieve these results. We’ve seen some great new fundraising events this year like First Choice Earthworks’ Ferret Race, Tiny Tins & Wollongong Crane Trucks’s “Battle of The Businesses” boxing event, and NGIL’s inaugural Golf Day, and every year the list of events raising funds for Convoy continues to grow,” Rigby says.
All monies raised in this year’s event will go to the Illawarra Community Foundation who will distribute funds to local charities and families who are facing life threatening & life limiting illness.
Convoy’s Founder and i98FM Breakfast Show host Marty Haynes says the generosity from the Illawarra community is astounding.
“Many of our fundraising groups far exceeded their results from previous years, and it’s a credit to the hard work, collaboration, time and effort so many people put in year-round for Convoy, especially in this cost of living crisis,” Marty says.
“This money will help to make a real difference to those who are bravely facing other illnesses and hardships in our community. To everyone who has supported Convoy, thank you…be nothing but proud of yourselves.”