Nick’s Cause: Supporting Kids with Cancer

Civilex and its group of business entities – Conset, Grampians Excavations and Incore Developments – came together to raise funds for the Fight Cancer Foundation’s Footy Colours Day.

Fight Cancer Foundation’s Footy Colours Day is a national fundraising campaign that supports kids living with cancer. All funds raised through Footy Colours Day helps kids continue their education during cancer treatment and recovery.

This year Civilex participated in its fourth Footy Colours Day and on Friday 6 September we achieved an amazing fundraising result. Not only did our group smash it’s initial $25,000 target but surpassed our updated $40,000 target.

We will be sharing our Footy Colours Day video with final fundraising amount on Friday…so stay tuned!

Civilex Project Manager and Footy Colours Day Ambassador Nick Loucaides says, “The biggest thing about Footy Colours Day is it’s a day all about bringing people together – it’s not just about work and deadlines. This is about taking the time to help make a difference!”

How Footy Colours Day Started at Civilex

In 2016 Civilex Project Manager Nick Loucaides worked at the Caulfield Grammar project site and while driving into work heard the promo on the radio for Footy Colours Day. “I immediately thought what a great initiative Footy Colours Day would be at Civilex especially working at a school with up to 2,000 children aged between 5-18 years.”

Fight Cancer Foundation raises money that helps supports kids continue their education. This was what made Nick want to do something out at Caulfield Grammar as we were working for a school.

Nick got the go-ahead to host a BBQ at the Caulfield Grammar project site and raised money for the charity. “The Caulfield Grammar project back then was Civilex’s first and significant principal contractor job. We had about 30 people attend that first BBQ including our labour force and our client and raised $550!”

The Evolution of Civilex’s Footy Colours Day

In 2017 Nick worked on the High Capacity Metro Train project in Pakenham and again in September participated in Footy Colours Day with a BBQ on site for Civilex and its many subcontractors. “I thought with this being a huge job and Civilex working alongside many subcontractors it was a great opportunity to get them all on board for a BBQ and donations!”

Civilex raised $15,000 in 2017 and was inducted into Fight Cancer Foundation’s Hall of Fame.

The 2018 Footy Colours Day stakes were raised to $20,000 while Nick was working out at CD9 project site – part of the Level Crossing Removal Project at Murrumbeena and extended the BBQ events to three Civilex sites – CD9, Metro Tunnel Moray Street site and head office in Spotswood.

Then, 2019 Changed Everything!

his year, our Footy Colours Day campaign was bigger than ever. Civilex and its group entities Conset, Grampians Excavations and Incore Developments came on board to participate in Footy Colours Day BBQs and raise funds.

Nick, currently Project Manager at the Toll Webb Dock project site, has continued flying the Footy Colours Day flag-raising money and awareness for kids living with cancer. “The Toll team sent over 70 personalised emails to subcontractors and clients asking them to get on board Footy Colours Day and attend our BBQs that we hosted across five different sites across the group.”

The Civilex BBQ truck cooked up a lunchtime storm at Toll with the Managing Director of Fight Cancer Foundation Eric Wright and Fundraising Campaigns Coordinator Sarah Clayton visiting Toll last Friday and being part of our Footy Colours Day activities. Eric said, “It was such a pleasure to visit Civilex and join in their Footy Colours Day celebrations. We are so grateful to Nick and everyone who contributed to achieving such an incredible fundraising amount – this will go a long way in helping us keep kids with cancer learning while they receive life-saving treatment.”

Civilex has been invited to attend a tour of Fight Cancer Foundation’s education support program at The Royal Children’s Hospital in 2020 where we see firsthand how the money we raise makes a difference.

Our other four Footy Colours Day BBQs occurred throughout the day starting with breakfast at Civilex project Collector Wind Farm at Goulburn, NSW; an early lunch at Civilex project Western Roads Upgrade site, lunch at Conset project The Grove site; and a BBQ at our head office in Spotswood.

To our Industry Partners

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated to our Footy Colours Day cause.

Special mention and thank you to the following companies who partnered with us to help make Footy Colours Day BBQs successful:

• Coates Hire – for the supply of all the food, 3 BBQs and cooks at our Collector Wind Farm BBQ in NSW
• Coates Hire – for supplying all the food, drinks and BBQ trailer at Civilex project site Western Roads Upgrade.
• Kennards Hire – for the supply of the BBQ meat, salads and 2 cooks at our head office BBQ
• Hays Recruitment – for the supply of all the food at Conset project site The Grove BBQ
• Patriot Group – for donating the Bunnings gift vouchers at Toll
• DBF and CCL Labour Hire for donating auction items at The Grove.

To our Staff

Special shout out to our staff who donated to the Footy Colours Day cause and to those who were hands-on helping make Footy Colours Day the best it’s been:

• Nick Loucaides, Holly Sanders, Michael Sullivan, Mitchell Hose, Eamonn McCuskey, Andrew Fuller
• Ben Gargiulo, Glen Goodall
• Matt Willis, Phil Caldwell, Tayla Bailey, Brendan Swaine
• Damien Gatt, Greg Richards, Sanjay Sarup, Dawn Ziros, Gaby De Vincenzo, Martin Cassar
• Joelle Fradd, Victoria Eresjo, Wendy Fradd
• Kris Bogdanovski (who has cooked at 2 Footy Colours Day BBQs now).

We’re looking forward to posting our 2019 Footy Colours Day video with our final fundraising tally – watch out for it on Friday!

Fight Cancer Foundation

Discover where the money raised on Footy Colours Day for the Fight Cancer Foundation goes and how anyone can get involved in helping make a difference for kids living with cancer by clicking here.

If you’d like to donate to our Footy Colours Day please click here.

Go back for more news