By Mitch Rodd and Oscar Hall
THE Sunraysia golfing community have banded together to throw their support behind one of their most beloved figures.
Hundreds turned out at Riverside Golf Club on Friday morning for ‘A Day For Mike’, a fundraising event for golf professional and long-time coach Mike McKenzie during ongoing health battles.
Just shy of $20,000 was raised to help cover medical expenses while undergoing chemotherapy, proving the generosity of the community.
Event organiser Garth Doherty of Sunraysia Golf Range said the total had “blown everyone away”.
“We presented Mike with a novelty cheque for $18,945 on Friday, but after that went down we actually had another $700 come through as well,” Doherty said.
“Initially when we came up with the concept I thought it would be great if we could raise about $5000 to help cover medical bills. He hasn’t been able to work for 15 weeks so anyway we could support him would be great.
“After a few weeks of taking calls I thought we could maybe push it to $10,000, so to almost double that on the day was amazing.
“I think we’re all blown away by the generosity of everyone involved, from sponsors to people in the community, I think this shows what community spirit is all about.
“He’s a beloved figure. What he’s done for golf in Mildura, Swan Hill and beyond has been exceptional and he’s had a personal impact on so many people.”
McKenzie has been a PGA professional for 43 years after undergoing a three-year traineeship with Doug Horne at Kingswood Golf Club in Frankston.
Doherty said despite his battle, it’s hard keeping McKenzie away from the range.
“He’s got a structured process going forward with his treatment and recovery, but he comes in when his body is up to it,” he said.
“A couple of times he’s wandered into the repair rooms and I’ve had to shoo him out, but he’s still got his finger on the pulse of everything happening.
“He’s keen to get back to helping people with their golf and you can see his passion in that.”
