Team Qualitas was dressed for success at the recent Steps for Homeless Youth event at Albert Park Lake.
Qualitas made a huge contribution to our new event, Steps for Homeless Youth – taking out first place in both the top fundraising team, raising $23K and top individual fundraiser for Henry Vuu, who raised $6.4K. We talked to Qualitas team members Henry Vuu, Jason Rackley, Amanda Lambert and James Giannarelli about their amazing group effort.
Congrats to Qualitas on raising $23K for homeless youth – how did you manage to achieve such a fantastic result?
As a relay team of four we worked together to raise funds across the broader Qualitas team and our industry networks, family and friends – encouraging each other along the way. We also enjoyed the rivalry amongst other company participants to remain at the top of the leader board, which helped increase the amount of funds raised!
Any secrets to your success?
To raise additional funds, we set 5km hurdle times, with Qualitas donating a set amount for every second that a member of the relay team outperformed their 5km hurdle time – with all four of us beating our hurdle times, including Henry dressed as Homer Simpson. It’s important to have fun as part of these initiatives. The team was offered a bonus donation from a colleague to dress up, with Henry accepting the challenge and running the 5km dressed as Homer and he still managed to beat his hurdle time with the extra weight and limited visibility through the mask!
Why did Qualitas want to support Steps for Homeless Youth in Melbourne?
The event was raising funds for such an important cause and one we felt it was important to support and have a positive impact – with the funds raised going towards increasing the supply of accommodation for homeless youth. It was also a great event for encouraging team engagement and physical activity!
How did you enjoy the day?
It was a very well organised event and there was a great atmosphere – with ongoing commentary around how teams were performing. The cheering from supporters as you approached the finish line certainly helped you pick up the pace near the end, and the prospect of some refreshments! It was also great to grab a coffee and pastry ahead of the race start – helping us warm up and get an energy kick.
What was the best thing about the event?
We were proud to see Qualitas at the top of the overall fundraising leader board as well as the individual leader board – testament to our efforts in the lead up to the event and the support there is for such an important cause. A great event for building team camaraderie and encouraging each other during the event regardless of whether we ran or walked.
What’s important to Qualitas about supporting the Property Industry Foundation?
Qualitas has a longstanding association with the Foundation, dating back to 2011. Over the years we’ve had several senior executives involved in the Board of Advisors, with Kathleen Yeung, Global Head of Corporate Development at Qualitas, currently a member of the Victorian Board. It is not only committees that Qualitas is involved in, but we also champion the work the Foundation does to try and break the cycle of youth homelessness, one of the most severe forms of disadvantage and social exclusion that any young person can experience.
Job well done, Qualitas!
