Drakes Supermarkets has raised a record $188,058 for five South Australian charities through its annual Charity Showbag initiative.
The milestone announced, which was announced at its 26th Charity Showbag Morning Tea held on 3 April at Kooyonga Golf Club, will see funds distributed equally between Bedford Group, Flinders Foundation, The Hospital Research Foundation, SA Police Legacy and St John Ambulance, with each receiving $37,611.70.
John-Paul Drake, Director at Drakes, acknowledged the origins and continued growth of the initiative.
“When dad came up with this harebrained idea to get our suppliers together to create the Drakes Charity Showbag, I don’t think he ever thought this initiative would be able to raise $2 million for our very worthy Charity Partners.
“We couldn’t have done this without the support of our supplier partners and our customers – it’s become an annual event that everyone looks forward to!”
This year’s fundraising total is the highest in the event’s history and comes from the sale of 18,000 showbags in 2024, also a record for the initiative. The bags were sold for $14 each at Drakes stores during the Royal Adelaide Show.
The showbags were filled with over 456,000 products donated by 35 supplier partners, creating three versions each valued at more than $126.
“Dad always said, ‘you can’t take out of this world unless you put back in’ – it’s why we have the Drakes Charity Showbag and the Drakes Community Dollars program, and also why we sponsor and donate to hundreds of local sporting clubs, charities and community groups.
“Our communities are an integral part of our ecosystem, and we’re proud to be able to give back in any way we can,” said Drake.
The Bedford Group has been involved in packing the showbags for two decades, with the collaboration providing over 600 job opportunities for its employees.
Since launching the initiative in 1999, Drakes has raised $2 million for South Australian charities.
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