Maroochy River Paddle: Entries are now open on Webscorer. As always, the success and safety of this event depend on the assistance of our volunteers. If you can help in any way, please let us know.
The Sunshine Coast Paddlesports Club gratefully acknowledges the $5,000 sponsorship from the Queensland Government towards the Maroochy River Paddle. This funding is part of the 2020 Election Commitment by the Department of Tourism and Sport, aimed at getting more people active, more often.
No August Time Trial: Due to the MRP race on 18 August, we will not be holding a time trial this month.
Xmas in July: What a night! We were thrilled to see more entries than prizes. A special mention goes to the Yak Yak Ladies, who, despite not winning a prize, performed a song that truly captured the spirit of our club and the cherished memories of days gone by. You can catch their performance on the club’s Facebook page. Thanks to everyone who participated, brought food, firewood, and the fire pit. It was a lovely night, made even better by the full moon and a cozy fire by the creek.
Marathon Training Camp: Two of our club members attended the marathon training camp on the Gold Coast last week, and they reported that it was well worth the effort.
Tweed 30, 21 July: This inaugural relay or full-distance race was a true test of mind and body. Starting in Murwillumbah, paddlers finished 30km later at the mouth of the Tweed River. Despite the run-out tide, the distance, swirling currents, and boat traffic made it a challenging event for all participants. Congratulations to Lachlan Kent and Nicky Donaldson, who completed the full distance, finished strong, and won their K2 division!
Valkobi 14 Beaches, 3 August: Competitors were treated to a great day of ocean paddling. Tragically, one competitor passed away during this event, and our thoughts are with their family and the first responders during this difficult time. Well done to Alex Woodhouse, Todd Grace, Phoebe Woodhouse, Jason Keating, Monique Gardener & Paul Rogers, Oliver Sweetman, Walter Nichols, Rochelle Johnson, and Cathy Woodhouse & Sharlene Kelly for their efforts.
Boat Storage Fees: A reconciliation of boats stored and storage fees has been conducted, and approximately 20 members have yet to pay their storage fees. Storing your craft at the clubhouse is a privilege, and payment of the relevant fees is required. We have a waiting list of members who are eager to store their craft at the clubhouse and are ready to pay the fees. Another reconciliation will be done after the Maroochy River Paddle, and any unpaid storage fees by the end of August may result in the removal of your craft from the shed.
Sunshine Coast Council Grants: – Individual Development Grants Funding is available to support residents who are performing, competing, or presenting at national or international competitions, conferences, or events.
Councillor Discretionary Funding: This program provides funds at the Councillor’s discretion to not-for-profit organizations for community purposes.
Other Grant Updates: We’re thrilled to share that Ally Bull has nominated us for a Woolworths Sports Grant, and we’ve received a $1,000 voucher! The great news is that the voucher doesn’t expire until it’s fully spent, allowing us to use it gradually for miscellaneous club consumables like toilet paper and cleaning products.
We’ve been invited to submit an application for Stage 2 of the Play Our Way grant process. This program aims to address the barriers women and girls face when participating in sports and physical activity by delivering quality facilities and participation experiences. Our club is applying for funds to remodel the current toilet, shower, and change rooms to provide a family room/persons with disabilities toilet & shower, two additional toilets, and two gender-specific change rooms, each with one shower. This will result in a total of three toilets and three showers.
We are still waiting for the outcomes for the Gambling Community Benefit Fund application for a new shed and fence for the additional area.
We have an application in with the Buderim Community Grants program to fund a new dinghy motor as James from Buderim Mobile Marine has advised the motor is on its last legs.
Security Cameras Installed: In an effort to enhance the security of our facilities, we’ve installed security cameras that are active 24/7. These cameras are linked to an app monitored by one of our committee members. We hope this will deter any potential thieves and aid in the apprehension of anyone responsible if the club is subjected to a break-in or theft.
Sponsors
Our ongoing club sponsors provide services to the club. Please consider using these companies should you need their services.
| Sunshine Coast 4WD Centre | Office Works Maroochydore | Accurate Pest Management |
| Westaway Electrical | Woolworths |
The 2024 Maroochy River Paddle Sponsors are:
| Ord Minnett | Paddles (formerly the Paddle Shop), Warana | Alexandra Headland SLSC |
| North Coast Frozen Foods | Perren & Penny, Civil & Plumbing Contractors | Future Plus Environmental |
| Viking Trucks | Carruthers Contracting | More Smiles Dental Practice |
| Caloundra Skin Cancer Centre | Buderim Guardian Pharmacy | Heads in the Cloud Salon |
We are also grateful to be the recipient of grants from the following local, state and federal governments:
| Sunshine Coast Council | Qld Government, Department of Tourism and Sport | Australian Government, Dept of Business & Industry |
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your ideas, concerns, or suggestions anytime. You can find my phone number on our Facebook page, and we are always responsive to club emails.
You are invited to send your stories for our Facebook page.
Warm regards
| Delia West, President | Paul Shipton, Secretary | Doug Brennan, Treasurer |
| Matt Ramke-Meyer, Media | Nicky Donaldson, Head Coach | |
| General Committee Members | ||
| Lach Kent | Justin Wright | Deb Wright |