Members of the Avoca Beach Lantern Club were awarded the Sheila Ames Commemorative Trophy (The Lantern) at the Combined Lantern Clubs Annual Luncheon meeting in September 2015.
The trophy has been presented annually since 1978-79 to the Club which has gained the greatest increase in their fundraising for Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) in each financial year.
In 2014-15, that was the Avoca Beach Lantern Club said club treasurer and life member, Mr William Robertson. Avoca Beach Lantern Club raised $5,089 in 2013- 14 and $15,054 in 2014-15.
Since its inauguration in 1972, the club has raised $466,516.
“It is the first time that Avoca Beach has been able to win this trophy, and that is largely due to the highly successful luncheon we organised in October 2014 with media personality Johanna Griggs as guest speaker,” Mr Robertson added.
That function was Avoca’s contribution to the 50th anniversary of the history of the establishment by RIDBC of the first Lantern Clubs as voluntary community fundraisers.
Media release,
Nov 11, 2015.
Mary Tonkin, Avoca Beach
Lantern Club