Buses on board for blokes lunch

GUESTS at the second annual Casey Cardinia Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch will be safely ferried towards home after the 31 July event, thanks to the generosity of local company Simcocks Bus Services.
Simcocks have donated two buses to ferry the 380 guests from the Cardinia Cultural Centre to the Pakenham and Berwick railway stations.
The lunch aims to educate men about prostate cancer in an entertaining and fun-filled afternoon and also raise money for awareness and research initiatives for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
Manager Rodney Wells said Simcocks was happy to jump on board again this year.
He said Simcocks had a few staff members who were impacted by prostate cancer and they were happy to support any initiative to help combat the disease.
“This issue means a lot to us and our staff,” he said.
The third generation company – originally from Garfield and now based in Pakenham – services the area from Drouin to Dandenong and everywhere in between.
Simcocks were connected to the event through Bendigo Bank Pakenham branch manager Norm Davidson, a member of the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch organising committee and a long-time friend of company founder Steve Simcocks.
The bank has thrown its weight behind the event, with the Pakenham, Bunyip, Lakeside, Beaconsfield and Berwick branches chipping in for a silver sponsorship, and volunteers will man a pop-up bank throughout the afternoon.
“We are bigger than a bank,” Mr Davidson said. “Anything that helps the community we are happy to support.”
Bookings for this year’s lunch Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch have already eclipsed numbers for the first year. There are only a couple of tables left before the room hits capacity.
Guests will be entertained by comedian Russell Gilbert, former Carlton champion and Dancing With The Stars winner Anthony Koutoufides and former Carlton and Hawthorn premiership coach David Parkin.
Tickets are $110, including food, drinks and a full afternoon of entertainment. To book contact committee chairman Garry Howe on 0407 203 525 or email garry.howe@starnewsgroup.com.au or book directly online at Trybooking.com/127086