May 29, 2024

The event attracted 43 golfers living with an intellectual disability from around South East Queensland. Nambour based charity Golf Programs Australia Incorporated (GPAI) hosted Queensland’s most participated Special Olympics Australia (SOA) golf competition on Sunday 26th May at the magnificent Palmer Coolum Golf Course which attracted 43 golfers living with an intellectual disability from around Sth East Queensland. PGA Professional and GPAI founder Darrell Dalton and his dedicated team of volunteers arrived early to set up for the Special Olympics Sunshine Coast (SOSC) event at the internationally renowned course & former home of one of the nations most prestigious golf tournaments, The Australian PGA Championships. “To have our golfers given the opportunity to compete on a golf course of this caliber is a rarity as it’s still rated in the top 15 in the country… this is the 2nd year we’ve secured Palmer Coolum for this SOSC competition with this event setting a new record for participation in Queensland,” Dalton said. The forecast predicted a 60% chance of rain that had Darrell, his team and participants concerned the day would require a host of wet weather gear, but the Sunshine Coast lived up to its name by turning on perfect […]

Some of the original Big W staff who still work at the Nambour store are pictured with Racheal Pascoe, centre. by Racheal Pascoe It has already been 20 years since Big W came to town, offering locals more variety when shopping and another opportunity for employment. When Big W opened in June 2004 it was an exciting time for our little town. I have a special interest in this store as I was a Training and Recruitment Manager for Big W at the time. Many of you will remember the recruitment drive we held at the Crushers Football Club. We had over 1300 applications from locals looking to work at the new store and it was a big job to find the best people for the roles. Over the next weeks and months, we whittled the list down and opened the store with 154 staff. Weeks and weeks of inductions were held. Everyone endured the 6 hour, 2 part induction, covering lots of safety and Woolworths/Big W history. I met everyone during this time and still say hello to the employees who have stayed all this time. The store was built and filled with stock but you might remember the