Victoria Stone-Meadows

The Port Douglas Crocs AFL Club and Mossman Bowls Club today handed over a $2200 cheque to be used to improve health services at the Mossman Hospital.

Representatives from the hospital staff, the FNQ Hospital Foundation, and the Crocs AFL Club met in Mossman this morning to officially hand over the money.

The funds were raised through the gate takings from the Crocs’ Good Friday Easter football match and from a Mossman Bowls Club fundraising initiative.

John Cameron, treasurer of the Port Douglas AFL Football Club, said the Crocs see a lot of the Mossman Hospital so it made sense to collect some funds for them. 

“Hardly a Saturday goes by where we don’t send someone here with a cut eye or broken finger or even a concussion and they always do a fantastic job,” he said.

“We would like to thank the Bowls Club as well because they weren’t even open on Good Friday but they came on board with a donation.

“It gives us pleasure to donate this money and thanks again to the hospital for what they do for us and what they do for the whole community.”

Director of Nursing at Mossman Hospital, Peter LeGriffon, said the hospital looks forward to establishing a long and prosperous relationship with the two clubs.

“This is the second year Crocs have donated their gate takings which is great and great that we start getting regular donations like this,” he said. 

“It really helps and with the support from the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation makes it easy to raise funds and certainly these go a long way to improving patent services and buying equipment to provide a lot of comfort at the hospital.”

Mr LeGriffon said the money will be put toward buying new stretchers for the emergency department which is due to undergo renovations in the near future.

Tony Franz, CEO of FNQ Hospital Foundation, thanked the Crocs and the Mossman Bowls club for their generous donation.

“We pay tribute to the Crocs and the Bowls Club for their support, everything helps and it all goes to the improvement of healthcare. It’s a really good thing.”

Business and sporting clubs looking to organise a fundraiser for the Mossman Hospital can contact the Friends of FNQ Hospital Foundation on Mossman.douglas.fof@health.qld.gov.au.