Documentary filmmaker Adam Drummond, veteran Jason Frost, Pro Patria Property Trust board member Des Goonan, Carmelite Sister Maria, Pro Patria Property Trust board member Angelo Strano, Natalie Grey, Pro Patria Property Trust board member Gordon Saggers. Photo: Supplied.
The Pro Patria Property Trust (PPT) Charity Dinner has raised $100,000, which will go towards securing Ashmont’s Carmelite Monastery for conversion into a Pro Patria Centre (PPC).
The Trust is transforming the Carmelite Monastery into a clinical treatment support site for veterans, defence and emergency support personnel. The PPC will serve as an innovative multidisciplinary facility that provides sorely-needed holistic health treatments to veterans and first responders.
PPT, Wagga Wagga.TV, Australian actor John Wood and Riverina Bluebell joined forces to raise $1.5 million for the PPC and produced a 20-minute documentary – A Call to Action: Your Defence, Our Battle.
The documentary sheds a light on PPC’s breakthrough and calls for people to donate money to secure the monastery.
PPC director and veteran Jason Frost said the success of the charity dinner was an incredible start to the fundraising campaign to secure the monastery.
“To have the community get behind us and show some amazing support,” Mr Frost said.
“We are blown away by the incredible generosity.”
“It’s exciting to see some of the hard work that we’ve been putting together behind the scenes to actually be showing that people can actually start talking about some of the real issues facing our community,” he said.
Wagga Wagga.TV CEO and Region Riverina commercial manager Adam Drummond who produced the 20-minute documentary said the charity dinner exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“The documentary was well received,” he said. “We received a lot of positive comments for those involved and those in attendance,” Mr Drummond said.
“But the thing that exceeded our expectations was the amount of money raised throughout the night.
“Directly after the video was screened, some pledge forms and donation forms went out, and it was announced within that hour that $73,000 had been raised in pledges alone.”
Mr Drummond said by the end of the night with the auction items, tickets, and continued donations from people and Pastorale, $100,000 dollars was raised.
“A phenomenal start to the campaign.”
Mr Drummond said showcasing the documentary was an emotional event.
“I had to fight through the tears to explain how guilty I felt as a member of the community who’s taken our heroes for granted who didn’t understand their plight,” Mr Drummond said.
“And didn’t understand the wedge that was driven between the families because of all sorts of injuries and PTSD and conditions that these people go through both our veterans and our first responders.
“Hopefully if nothing else, this video can highlight the plight of our frontline heroes,” he said.
Pastorale by Meccanico owner and dinner host Richard Moffatt said it was great to kickstart the fundraising efforts and the profile of PPC.
“It was an amazing night. The mood and the energy in the room were fantastic in terms of the final result,” Mr Moffatt said.
“The documentary was fantastic and watching it with 73 other guests, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Everybody was quite emotional.”
“I’m proud of our one little business helping to lift big…we turned all our profit to donation.
Mr Moffatt added it is appalling it see the way our veterans are being treated.
“We train them and send them into the most dangerous places and when they come back with (mental and physical) issues we’re not looking after them,” Mr Moffatt said.
“We have a duty of care to look out for the people that are out there looking after us.”
Dinner guest and Riverina Cancer Care Centre Trust chairman Daniel Donebus said after watching the documentary it was challenging to see what the veterans and first responders have to deal with once they’ve been exposed to high-impact situations.
“There’s a great need for this service (PPC) and disturbingly a need that is not otherwise being addressed,” Mr Donebus said.
“We all pay our taxes and expect that the important things in our community are addressed in some meaningful way.
“I struggle to see people in genuine need, especially where there is no alternative way they can obtain the help they need.
Former Riverina MP Kay Hull said she cried all through the documentary.
Ms Hull said the documentary was well-produced and thought-provoking.
She said the need for PPC for veterans and first responders at veterans is essential.
“It’s essential that we’re able to have and have alternative options, rather than pharmaceutical options whether it is hyperbaric chambers or ketamine infusions,” Ms Hull said.
“Everyone had an enormous learning from the documentary.”
To donate to PPC, click here.
If this story has raised any issues for you, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, the Defence all-hours Support Line 1800 628 036, Open Arms 1800 011 046 or Soldier On 1300 620 380.
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