MACKAY, QUEENSLAND – The 2024 Mackay Basketball NBL1 fundraising game and charity singlet auction held on Friday, May 31 has raised $36,265 for Ronald McDonald House Charities North Australia and the Ronald McDonald Family Room and Hospitality Cart at Mackay Base Hospital.

The $36,265 collected through raffles and McDonald’s Mackay Meteors annual charity singlet auction eclipsed the former fundraising benchmark of $32,000 set in 2023.

In total, Mackay Basketball has raised $127,936.00 for the charity over the past decade.

Earlier today, Mackay Basketball General Manager and McDonald’s Meteors NBL1 Head Coach Joel Khalu presented a cheque to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) North Australia Community Engagement Executive Samantha Baker, at the Ronald McDonald Family Room located at the Mackay Base Hospital.

“Mackay Basketball is enormously proud to use our platform to fundraise for this valuable cause,” Khalu said.

“Year after year we’ve seen our basketball community support this event by contributing what they can to Ronald McDonald House Charities North Australia, who support the Ronald McDonald Family Room and Hospitality Cart at Mackay Base Hospital. RMHC helps ensure that sick kids and their families in our region will get the support they need, when needed.”

RMHC North Australia Community Engagement Executive Samantha Baker also thanked Mackay Basketball.

“We’re amazed by this record donation, it’s a remarkable effort and we are very grateful,” Baker said.

“We’re appreciative to everybody who attended the game, bought raffle tickets and placed bids on the singlets. On behalf of the Ronald McDonald House Charities North Australia, we want to say a huge thank you to everybody involved with Mackay Basketball for their magnificent, ongoing support.”