The balmy Rockhampton heat was noticeable in the old Sheep Shearing Shed on Saturday, March 4, but the atmosphere of the Long Lunch was intimate and special, with guests treated to a lovely afternoon under a canopy of twinkling festoon lighting.
Guests chatted, made new friends, and others reminisced about their time at Girls Grammar whilst tasting delicious food carefully prepared by Olive catering.
We were serenaded by music performances provided by Kyle & Celeste Acoustic Duo and our wonderful students Hadasshah and Kirsten. We were also blown away by self-choreographed dance performances from members of our RGGS Dance Company.
We listened and learned from our special guest and 'Rockhampton girl gone big' Author and TV Presenter Anna Daniels and former Win News Rocky Journalist turned Today Show host Andrea Crothers, who was also our Emcee on the day.
Guests were also treated to beautiful fondant biscuits shaped into native flowers made by Girls Grammar Chef Raelene Bendall.
We were joined by around 240 guests in their best frocks made up of wonderful alumni, parents and staff, local businesses, and dedicated supporters of our school community.
Thank you to our generous table sponsors Professionals Livingston & Molloy - Real Estate Agents and Property Management, Thomo's Betta Home Living, Becker & Co, The Agency, Rockhampton Powdercoating & Fence Panels, and Michel's Patisserie Allenstown.
How much did the Long Lunch raise for Rockhampton Girls Grammar School?
Almost all of the funds raised for the event came directly from raffle and bar sales on the day.
Our raffle was a huge success, raising a grand total of $6,216 from a prize pool worth over $6,000. All of the prizes were donated by generous local businesses.
We also had a beautiful wooden Burl created by Rockhampton Regional artist John Willis that was auctioned off to Mark Wilson of Banana Station for $2,000.
It was a nail-biting event, with the artwork almost auctioned off Rockhampton Girls Grammar Principal Kara Krehlik.
Luckily Mr Wilson swept in during the final moments to take home the beautiful prize.
Other major prizes included a Weber Q BBQ and patio cart valued at $839 donated by Thomo's Betta Home Living and a iRobot vacuum valued at $1,799 by Harvey Norman Rockhampton.
A two night getaway on an island cabin valued at $540 by Great Keppel Island Hideaway was won, with a round of applause, by our very own hard-working Head Chef Kent Reid.
He will just have to try and find the time
away from running the kitchen to take
the much needed and well-deserved
vacation.
The bar sales on the day were another successful area, with $9,651 worth of drinks and alcohol sold.
Initial estimates of profit made during the event indicate over $11,000 has been raised directly for the School and will be used to support new infrastructure projects, such as the restoration of Upper Paterson House and eventually the new learning spaces in Upper Luck.
Watch this video for a walk-through tour of Upper Paterson House.
Long Lunch impossible without help of hard-working volunteers
A giant thank you to our dedicated cohort of students who volunteered their time on the day to serve meals and sell raffle tickets.
The girls were absolutely exhausted by the end of the day - clearly evident in the way they were sprawled out on the concrete waiting for their bus to arrive - but staff could not have been prouder of them.
Hopefully the girls will be able to take their new skills in communication and working as a team into their future endeavors or employment opportunities.
A huge thank you to all the staff and parents who volunteered their time to make this special day a reality. Serving at the bar on their day off was a big ask, but these dedicated parents and staff members stepped up and sure did deliver.
And a big, big thank you to all our guests - we hope you enjoyed it as much as us!
- Ellouise Bailey
Community, Marketing and Events Coordinator
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