The Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch has received a special donation and iconic piece of Shepparton history for this year’s auction.
The Furphy family has donated one of its custom-made tank ends, created last year to celebrate 150 years of Furphy businesses operating in Shepparton, to the BEBL auction.
There were 15 tank ends created, one for each decade, and all but one have been donated to different community organisations and charitable causes such as the BEBL.
Chair of the lunch Shane O’Sullivan said Adam Furphy and the business were generous to donate a “very collectable item”.
“I saw a tank end being auctioned at the Dookie Devenish and District Good Friday Appeal,” he said.
“I rang Adam and asked, ‘what are you doing with the rest of them?’, and he mentioned there were only two left.
“I said ‘well that’s all right, I only want one, I’m not going to be greedy’.
“They’re just so generous, it wasn’t even a hesitation.”
Mr Furphy said it was a “pretty easy decision” for him and his cousin Sam Furphy to donate an “authentic bit of Furphy equipment” to a “great cause”.
The lunch has been running since 2009, with the main message of telling men to take care of their health.
This year is extra special, as it marks 10 years since the BEBL entered into an agreement with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and GV Health to directly fund the employment of prostate and bowel cancer nurses through funds raised at the lunch.
“The whole thing goes to the three nurses,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“We can’t not have these specialist nurses saving lives.”
Founding committee members of the lunch Laurie Gleeson and Chris McPherson, who was an owner of McPherson Media Group and publisher of The News, were both diagnosed with prostate cancer and have since passed away, highlighting the important message of telling men to get regular health checks.
Mr O’Sullivan said one lunch in particular provided attendees with a “pretty powerful message”. It was the year he found himself standing alone on the stage to speak, where Mr Gleeson and Mr McPherson had stood with him only 12 months before.
Tickets for this year’s lunch have sold out. But although no-one else can buy a ticket, Mr O’Sullivan is encouraging men to “at least go have your blood tested or go get yourself a check-up”.