Despite the cancellation of many other events, Gold Coast Ramble was still able to proceed as scheduled on Sunday 22 March 2020.  Due to CODIV-19 public health concerns, several teams did not compete and other teams lost some members but 13 teams collected their maps and had 2 hours fun completing the circuit.   Check out the photo gallery.

 

To allow the event to proceed the event was modified to remove all activities requiring teams to interact with volunteers, other teams or the public.  Once team captains had collected their map, the entire event was managed using the Goose Chase App.  Missions or challenges went live at 10am and were listed on the App for teams to plan their routes.  The challenges were in one of three formats:

During the event additional bonus challenges were sent out to the team that were not location based and tested the team’s observation and creativity.  Finally, to make the event ‘socially distant’, there was no congregation of teams to announce winners and draw random prizes.  This was done by email and announced on social media.  The App itself had maintained a leader board visible to all teams but adjusted by bonus and penalty points based on photographic submissions.

Looking back at previous Rambles we had volunteers manning every checkpoint and managing the logistics of setting these up was a major exercise.  In 2017 we had over 80 volunteers to run the event.  This year it could be run on the day with only one!  This is the power of technology and the functionality in a new App.

Almost $7,000 in prizes were made available by our generous sponsors:

 

This year we used a registration site that provided an single easy-to-navigate registration and donation platform for participants.  Raisely.com was able to handle the seamless transfer and receipting of team donations directly to the nominated charity at minimum cost.

Total proceeds for the event was $6,644, which included $1,350 in registrations.  Several teams campaigned hard to maximise their pre-event bonus points:

Disappointingly the 9 recipient charities only generated one or two teams with over 80% of team registrations coming from Rotarians or their connections.  With an average team donation of $300, this was an opportunity missed with Rotary running a fun event for their network to support.

 

 

ANDRE'A AND HER BEST DRESSED TEAM FROM AAIC

Following the presentation on our current international projects at our last dinner meeting, there has been progress on construction of the Pentecost Island Vanuatu X-Ray and Pathology Building that will be constructed in flat pack form and shipped to northern Vanuatu for re-assembly.

 

After the call to members of the Rotary Clubs of Broadbeach, Surfers Sunrise and or club for donations in kind for building materials for the facility, Premier Timber on Brisbane Road in Labrador have donated the roof trusses as you see in the photo below with Michael who constructed them.

 

Thanks goes to Rotarian Geoff Croad of Surfers Sunrise club who asked Premier Timber if they would donate them.  As COVID-19 will restrict members of the joint clubs from constructing the building for the time being, the project is temporarily on hold unfortunately.