For Sail!

The Kids Under Cover Donate Your Car program has been running for 16 years

It has been a hugely successful fundraising initiative to help build more studios for families and young people in need.

The program relies on the incredible generosity of people who no longer have use for their vehicle and encourages them to donate them to be auctioned to raise funds for Kids Under Cover. All proceeds from every sale go directly to our Studio Program.

This year we’ve had an amazing number of contributions including a Maserati, a Mustang and, for the first time anybody here can remember – a yacht!

Our generous supporter, Peta, explains her decision to part ways with her beautiful ‘Catalina’ and donate to a cause in which she feels especially connected.

“I had bought Catalina with money left to me by my mother’s ex-dancing partner, my “aunty” Pauline. It wasn’t a huge sum but just enough for a small yacht(!) – something I had always wanted. After some wonderful years together, Catalina eventually remained parked unattended in St Kilda while I was mostly parked in Castlemaine (a fair distance and well inland).”

Peta and Catalina shared some wonderful years

“So I was sailing her less and less (and repairing her more and more!) and spending a lot too on the mooring and yacht club membership – I got to the point where I just couldn’t really afford to keep her. I figured, if I sold her, I would never be able to recoup the amount I’d spent on her over the years plus I thought I would probably begrudge anyone who bought her so preferred to stay out of the selling process!

Also, Catalina had been a gift to me from a beloved aunt who was an absolute doyenne of secondhand and charity shops. So, the ideal solution: Donate Catalina to Kids Under Cover.

This way I’d be passing on my good fortune to others in a way that my aunty would really appreciate. I’d also feel the great satisfaction of giving and would have zero resentment towards the eventual buyer. The buyer would also get to feel great about themselves because their money would be going to an exceedingly worthwhile charity and Kids Under Cover would (hopefully) get a decent return.

Some credit too must go to the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron who have demonstrated wonderful generosity in donating the time and skills of various mechanics and administrators to facilitate preparing the boat for resale – something that I hope they have been able to use to generate positive publicity about themselves to the boating and wider community.

SO WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN … WIN!”