Griffith-based charities and community organisations will get the chance to pitch for the right to run the City to Lake fundraising event.
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At Griffith City Council's April meeting on Tuesday, councillors endorsed a new expressions of interest system to appoint organisers for the event.
The City to Lake fun run started as a council-endorsed event to raise money for the St Vincent's Private Community Hospital but has since been opened to other causes.
Griffith Can Assist ran the event in 2019 and 2020 with 1200 and 1100 people walking, riding or running to Lake Wyangan in those years respectively.
Funds raised provided a sizeable chunk of the money needed to care for 147 people in the community who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Griffith's Can Assist president Olga Forner said she was disappointed that the organisation would have to prove its worth in order to run the event again.
It would mean more time is required from volunteers to ensure that the paperwork can be completed.
Without a similarly sized fundraiser, Mrs Forner said it would mean a lot more volunteer hours to keep the charity going.
"It's extra hard work for us to make sure our branch is in a viable situation," she said.
"More volunteer time would be required to try and keep it sustainable."
Councillors initially considered giving organisers three years to run the event before opting for two years.
Councillor Mike Neville said it was important for council to have some input in case funds needed to be raised in future to maintain St Vincent's.
Deputy mayor Doug Curran was concerned if the event was given to different charities to run each year, that there was a way to ensure the event was 'successful' and not lost as a community activity.
Mayor John Dal Broi said council had a substantial commitment to the event through traffic management planning and on the day
He said Can Assist had been supported to run the event annually and had asked for an extension.
"Council felt it should seek expressions of interest to see if there were any more groups who wanted to run it," Cr Dal Broi said.
"Personally I would put a lot of emphasis on any organisation that has run it before."
What councillors voted for;
- Council call Expressions of Interest for a period of 28 days to organise and auspice the Griffith City to Lake Fun Run, for two years from 2021.
- Expressions of Interest be invited from not-for-profit registered charitable organisations with a presence in the Griffith local government area.
- Respondents be required to submit their expression of interest addressing the criteria included in this report (subject to amendment by council).
- A report be prepared for council's consideration following closure of expressions of interest.
- Council provide in kind support through the development of a traffic management plan for the event and provide traffic control staff on the day of the event.
- The successful organisation is required to provide acquittal report on an annual basis.
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
