Drakes has celebrated a significant milestone at its annual Charity Showbag Morning Tea, raising a total of $2 million for local charities over the last 26 years.
Last week’s event, held at Kooyonga Golf Club, brought together suppliers and charity partners to commemorate the success and positive impact of this community-driven effort.
An amount of $188,058 was raised and presented to Drakes’ five charity partners, Bedford Group, Flinders Foundation, The Hospital Research Foundation, SA Police Legacy and St John Ambulance – representing the proceeds from the sale of 18,000 showbags sold in 2024. This marks the largest number of showbags ever sold and the highest donation to date. Each charity partner received an equal share of $37,611.70, which will directly support their vital work in the South Australian community.
“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,” says Drakes Director John-Paul Drake.
“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.”
One of the key aspects of the Charity Showbags initiative is the support of Drakes’ suppliers, who generously donate products to fill the showbags. In 2024, 35 supplier partners contributed over 456,000 products, which helped create three variances of showbags all valued at over $126 each. The bags were then sold for just $14 at Drakes South Australian supermarkets during the week of the Royal Adelaide Show.
“Dad’s 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,” says Mr Drake.
“Our communities are an integral part of our ecosystem, and we’re proud to be able to give back in any way we can.”
For 20 years, the Bedford Group has played an essential role in the initiative by packing the showbags at their facility. This long-standing partnership has created more than 600 job opportunities for Bedford employees.