Melbourne Asian Seventh-day Adventist Church (MASDAC) and The Upper Room—the afternoon service at MASDAC—joined forces to organise two fundraising events in September and October to support local charitable causes and foster community building.
In the first event, named “Tour de Kids”, church members cycled to raise funds for the Starlight Foundation, which aims to bring joy and relief to sick children. With ages ranging from 15 to 86, the participants covered more than 5000km together, raising $A10,639, making them the third most successful team in terms of funds raised.
In October, the “Walk to Fight Cancer” event was held over 10 days to collect funds for cancer research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. According to Upper Room associate pastor Jonathon Gillard, “This cause holds a special place in the hearts of the church members, as many of them have known someone personally affected by cancer.”
The eight participants walked more than 470km across the 10-day challenge, raising $A2180. The final walk on Sabbath was joined by The Upper Room service, followed by a picnic lunch and outdoor worship service with more than 40 people participating.
“These events not only highlighted their dedication to helping those in need but also demonstrated their commitment to building a stronger, more loving community,” said Pastor Gillard.
Patrick Sin, event organiser and member of the ministry leadership team for The Upper Room, noted the main motivations for these events included supporting the needy by partnering with charitable causes, showing God’s love to the community, inviting friends and colleagues to join, and enhancing the bonding among church members.
Motivated by the success of the initiatives, the team is planning more community outreach efforts in the future, aiming to continue working together to support charitable causes.
