Within the Buderim Foundation’s growing family of donors, Ambassadors and volunteers, there are literally countless stories of generous giving, whether it be time, talent or treasure… or in many cases, a combination of all three. Since the Foundation’s launch in 2004, it is these many individual stories that collectively add up to an immensely powerful big story of success we can all be proud of.
One of these is a standout and deserves celebrating. Well known in the community as the face of Buderim Pharmacy, Alistair and Santina Cook, along with their pharmacy partners at the time, made a bold decision to get behind the Buderim Foundation as inaugural sponsors when it was in its infancy 15 years ago. Alistair and Santina have been committed supporters ever since. Indeed, the cumulative contribution through the years puts them in a very special gold standard category!
“There’s no question that this long-term sponsorship has been a major contributing factor to the organisation’s growth and success,” Foundation Chair Prof. Russell Stitz said.
“In these days of constant changes, especially in the world of business, I wonder if, in fact, it might be a Sunshine Coast record for major continuous sponsorship of one organisation? And what better sponsor partner to have on board than Buderim Pharmacy.”
Alistair was happy to go on record in those early years saying that both he and Santina believed strongly in the Foundation concept, especially since their sponsorship would help to pay the running costs and be central to the Foundation’s rare ability to proudly claim that all administration and operational expenses are wholly covered by the sponsors’ contributions without the need to draw on any of the donor income.
Alistair also said back then that as proprietors of one of Buderim’s most enduring family businesses, they placed great value in the deep and lasting relationship they wanted to build with the Foundation, and they were certain about the great satisfaction they would get from watching it grow. “Pleasingly, these views have only been reinforced with the passage of time,” Alistair Cook said today.
While well known for its outstanding performance in this community, many locals may be unaware of just how highly regarded Buderim Pharmacy is at a national level. This has come about largely due to the pharmacy’s acknowledged track record for innovation in professional services that extend well beyond the conventional pharmacy business model. It includes proactive community outreach, high-value health education, monitoring and counselling programs and case by case pro bono assistance for at-risk and disadvantaged groups, all fine-tuned to exceptional quality standards.
Two other highly regarded businesses round out the Foundation’s ongoing and effective sponsor support program. They are EdenLea on Buderim (11 years) and Sunshine Toyota (5 years). “This three-sponsor policy has been in place for many years now and like all partnerships of this kind, it has yielded significant benefits for both the businesses involved and for the organisation,” Prof. Stitz said.
“For the sponsors, it means stronger recognition of the support provided than would be the case if more sponsors were involved. It also means each sponsor can proudly say that because of the Foundation’s grant distribution role, they are indirectly supporting the whole Buderim community by supporting the Buderim Foundation in this way. And for the Foundation, it challenges us to keep a tight rein on our operating and administration costs. Of course, our army of wonderful volunteers helps massively in this regard. It also allows us to be more creative, clearer and efficient as we strive to recognise and promote these worthy supporters,” Prof. Stitz added.
Alistair and Santina have become a very big part of the Foundation family. They are on hand each year to help hand out annual grants. They attend Foundation events and of course, they promote the value of the Foundation to our community via their vast personal and business network. There is no doubting that the Cook family are true philanthropists, and the Foundation is a better organisation because of their outstanding support over so many years.
