$150,000 raised! History-Making LMA golf tournament exceeds all expectations

In a remarkable display of unity and generosity, the first-ever Lebanese Muslim Association/Feed The World Muslim Community Golf Tournament & Gala Dinner was held on Saturday 14 December, at the scenic Brighton Lakes Golf Course at Moorebank in southwest Sydney.

The event, which combined sporting achievement with charitable giving, raised an astounding $150,000 for the LMA’s charity arm Feed The World, which is doing amazing work on the ground in many locations including Gaza, Lebanon, Africa, the subcontinent and other trouble spots across the globe.

What began as a concept initially greeted with surprise and even some mild skepticism by some members of the Muslim community soon gained momentum, and by the day of the event, it was clear that everyone who’d heard about what was planned was fully behind the initiative.

An impressive 80 participants took part in the golf tournament, a 4-Ball Ambrose event, which saw Muslim golfers showcasing their talents under the blazing sun at Brighton Lakes, immediately after the conclusion of the Dhuhur prayer.

Following the golf tournament, several players joined other guests in the Golf Club’s award-winning function centre for a memorable Gala Community Dinner, which drew over 150 attendees.

The commencement of the evening was marked by a recitation from the Qur’an by the internationally renowned Sheikh Mohamed Harby, setting the tone for a beautiful night ahead.

A major highlight of the dinner was the routine by  Turkish-Australian comedian Tahir, whose engaging humour had the audience in stitches throughout his 30 minute performance.

Tahir had earlier played in the golf tournament with a group of friends and was a big supporter of the concept from day one.

Heartfelt speeches from LMA figureheads Sheikh Yahya Safi (Imam of Lakemba Mosque ) and Gamel Kheir (Association Secretary), which addressed the ongoing struggles of vulnerable communities overseas, reminded attendees of the importance of supporting those in need.

Well-known community identities, Ahmad Hraichie and Fred Nagi, also took to the stage, doubling down on the words of the earlier guest speakers by further emphasising the plight of the less fortunate and the need for collective action.

The dinner also saw the Muslim community’s favourite auctioneer Hussin Goss drive a successful charity auction, raising substantial funds for the cause.

LMA Vice President Raed Halabi ensured the seamless flow of the evening’s proceedings as the Master of Ceremonies.

The evening culminated in a spirit of celebration, with congratulations extended to the winning teams from the golf tournament.

First place went to the team of Nasser Nahlous, Hythem Wawi, Sharif Amin and Bill Sayed with an amazing score of 58 for the 18 holes.

A remarkable yet quite achievable score under the novelty Ambrose formal, which was unable to split the two second placed teams of Ayman Arnaout, Jalal Eljawad, Omar and Brandon, who shared the runners-up podium with the quartet of Bassam, Omar, Michael and Tarek (both teams carding 59).

The “Nearest to Pin” winners were Bassam Hasna, Mostafa Abutaaa and James Chahoud, while Scott Murgatroyd claimed the prize for “Longest Drive”.

And special congratulations as well to Ehad Gabach who achieved every golfer’s lifetime dream….a hole-in-one!

The overwhelming success of the event was made possible by the generosity of a long list of sponsors, whose support began as early as August:

The overwhelming success of the event was made possible by the generosity of a long list of sponsors, whose support began as early as August:

Gold Sponsors:  SALAAM  (SPONSORED TWO HOLES); THE BACK SPECIALIST; TRADIES ONLY PL; MACQUARIE ACCOUNTANTS; MCCA; SHREDRIGHT PL; OBA MOSQUE, CABRAMATTA; YOUNG MOSQUE; LMA & FEED THE WORLD; PROVEN CONSULTING; STARCHEM PHARMACY LAKEMBA; OPEN PATH CARE SERVICES; KHEIR LAWYERS; FETTAYLEH SMALLGOODS; OZY HOMES; PURPLE PARROT; CONDELL PARK SMASH REPAIRS and GREEN FLOW PEST MANAGEMENT.

Silver Sponsors: THE TAX FACTOR; EL KHAIR FLORIST and  PARAGON REALTY.

Bronze Sponsors: GPS GUARDIAN PROPERTY SPECIALISTS and GIANT LEAP SERVICES.

Media Partners: AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIME (AMUST) and SBS ARABIC.

A percentage of their green fees and other donations by the golfers, together with the amazing generosity of the dinner attendees (who supported the night through auction bids and pledges) were vital ingredients in seeing the event exceed all fundraising expectations, with just on $150,000 being raised.

Special thanks must also go to the Brighton Lakes Golf Club board of directors for approving the date of the event as well as the staff for their hospitality and assistance.

Club professional Kurt Stegbauer was particularly helpful and the co-operation of all at the Golf Club shouldn’t be under-valued, given our needs as Muslims in terms of prayer and dietary requirements and conducting the event in a halal environment.

The event also received massive, voluntary community support, including the dedicated teams from the LMA’s three Mosques at Lakemba, Cabramatta and Young.

Your humble writer was proud to be part of the Golf Committee – also comprising Dr Tarek Sari, Bill Chmeisse, Ali Bassal, Nasser Nahlous and Salim Allouche – who all worked for several months behind the scenes to ensure the event’s success.

The LMA’s Creative Team of Muhammad Farhan Khan, Raiyan Ramadhan and Belal Abdelwahed captured stunning footage over more than nine hours and they also helped ensure the flawless technical execution of the evening, while LMA management and other staff also provided provided invaluable assistance and support.

Looking ahead, the consensus among all those involved was clear.

This inaugural tournament marks just the beginning of what will hopefully become an annual tradition, with plans already afoot to make it a regular fixture on the LMA calendar.

As this event demonstrated, with the blessings of Allah, there are no limits to what can be achieved when those involved have the best of intentions.

This historic-making occasion has set a powerful precedent, showing that whether you thought so or not, Muslims CAN play golf!

Importantly, it also showed that members of our community are happy to step outside their comfort zone when it comes to supporting worthy causes.

Commenting  after the event, LMA spokesman Gamel Kheir told AMUST: “The success of our first-ever Golf Tournament and indeed Australia’s first ever Muslim community golf tournament is a testament to the strength of unity and generosity within our community.”

“The LMA board and also Sheikh Hassan Elsetohy, who oversees Feed The World, are thrilled that such a magnificent amount of money was raised to help our needy brothers and sisters overseas, and this achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our players, sponsors, the organising committee, the volunteers and of course, all those who gave so generously at the fundraising dinner.”

“On behalf of our board of directors, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to making this history-making event such a wonderful  success.”