By NICOLE VALICEK
LAST Monday a baton arrived at the Williamstown Salvation Army store marking an important day for staff and volunteers.
The start of February was the launch of a relay between retail stores and support offices across the Australian Southern Territory in order to raise money for Salvation Army projects nominated by staff members.
The baton was passed around Tasmania and landed at the Williamstown Salvos Stores last Monday.
Each store is aiming to raise as much funds as possible for five projects before passing on the torch to the next store.
Williamstown Salvos store manager Brooke Andrews said the fundraiser is a good opportunity to support important projects on top of the day to day work they do in stores.
“It’s a good opportunity for us as colleagues and staff and our salvos store families to come together and help our own on top of what we do for community,” she said.
Salvos Stores marketing co-ordinator Aife O’Loughlin said staff and volunteers go above and beyond to raise funds for staff nominated Salvation Army projects every year.
“This year we have already seen some fantastic fundraising ideas and this is sure to continue as the torch passes between teams,” she said.
The team building project will see Salvos Stores raise $150,000 through their staff and volunteers for five staff-nominated Salvation Army programs across Australia.
In Victoria the money raised will be used to establish Men’s Shed projects in Mildura to help develop the economy within the local community.
In South Australia the salvos will work with the Adelaide ministry to provide a truck to help remote communities.
In total the fundraising baton will be passed to 211 stores and seven support teams.
The baton moved from Williamstown to Footscray on Tuesday and is making its way to stores across Melbourne.
