The Festival of Sails organised by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club was first run in 1844, and in 2022 will celebrate the 179th anniversary of the iconic Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race.
The Newtown City Hockey Club has assisted the Royal Geelong Yacht Club with this event since 1999, by providing cleaning and bin management services for yachting participants and the general public who attend the onshore festivities at the Yacht Club.
2021 unfortunately saw the Festival of Sails activities cancelled due to COVID and the hockey club services not required. We are very pleased to be asked to assist again in 2022, with the Festival of Sails running from January 21 to January 26, 2022.
The event is one of the major ways in which the Newtown Hockey Club raises additional funds, without adding further to members’ costs. Newtown Hockey Club is contracted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club to keep the Yacht Club area clean and tidy during the Festival of Sails. In return, the Club receives reimbursement for the time and labour contributed by our members. As the event often attracts over 100,000 visitors to the Geelong waterfront, it can be a very busy time for our volunteers.
What’s Involved?
The work is not difficult. It includes clearing tables, picking up rubbish, taking rubbish bins to the compactor to be emptied and replacing bins around the area for reuse.
Our work is much appreciated by the yachting community and those who attend the Festival activities. Our volunteers regularly receive positive comments about our contribution from those in attendance. Our participation also provides another means of letting the Geelong community know of the existence of the Newtown Hockey Club.
The Club is seeking volunteers to help with this event. Family, friends and any helpers over the age of 15 are welcome. Volunteering your time is ideal for school students who need to demonstrate involvement in community activities.
We expect to raise over $3700 from this event.
Members are asked to volunteer three hours of their time during the period January 21 to 26, 2022. The roster can be found at the link below, with 96 spaces to fill, so have a look and choose when might suit you best. We look forward to your support.
Sign Up Here
Fundraising from events such as this is set aside by the Newtown Hockey Club for the benefit of members and for the future development of facilities. Future development of facilities could include improvements to playing surfaces at Lloyd Reserve (Windsor Road field or a synthetic surface pitch), or the Lloyd Reserve Pavilion expansion project.
