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LUXURY boat builder Maritimo is proving there is money in adrenalin.
The Gold Coast company, headed by Bill Barry-Cotter, says it is poised to raise $100,000 for charity through its philanthropic and promotion program launched in July last year.
Much of that has come from the auctioning of adrenalin-packed weekends that include a ride in Maritimo Racing’s World Championship winning offshore powerboat at super speeds of up to 280kmh.
Maritimo’s sales and marketing manager Greg Haines says the ultimate prize package weekends have raised $57,000 at two recent charity events.
“By the time we do the Star Ball again on July 12 we should be well above $100,000 raised for the year which is a fantastic result,” he says.
Maritimo launched its philanthropic program at last year’s Star Ball held at Sydney’s The Star casino.
Two of the packages offered for auction at the A-lister, black-tie ball last year saw $36,000 raised for the Starlight Foundation.
Haines says the company also provided the weekend packages as auction items at the Doctor Charlie Teo Cure for Life’s Mad Hatters Ball in Sydney in May, the Five Chefs Dinner in Brisbane on June 5.
“Last year these packages attracted individual bids of $18,000 at the Starlight Foundation’s ball and we believe as word has spread about what a fantastic weekend it was for the people involved the price achieved has increased,” he says.
“The Charlie Teo event saw competitive bidding amongst a number of guests ultimately we offered to provide two weekend packages which were successfully auctioned.
“The people who successfully bid at last year’s Star Ball and came to the Gold Coast in February had an absolute ball and I think this has seen the bidding really heat up at the various charity balls since.”
Two more adrenalin rushes will be on offer at the Star Ball in two weeks in Sydney and the Star Ball in Melbourne in September.
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