ALAND’s Andrew Hrsto and employees raises $55,000 for Cancer Council Office2Ocean charity walk

Leading Sydney developer ALAND has raised $55,000 for the Cancer Council as part of its inaugural ‘Office2Ocean’ charity walk.

An ALAND Community Projects Initiative, a group of 70 employees swapped work boots for walking shoes for the 12km scenic walk from ALAND’s offices in Strathfield South along the Cooks River to Cahill Park in Tempe.

ALAND’s initial fundraising goal of $20,000 was smashed thanks to the generous support of the ALAND community including staff, family, consultants, contractors and associates.

ALAND Founder and Director Andrew Hrsto praised his team for taking part in the inaugural Community Projects Initiative event and is looking forward to what can be accomplished in the future.

“It was fantastic to see the efforts of our team and partners to raise an impressive amount of money for the Cancer Council. We are excited to continue exploring ways to support the communities in which we live and operate,” Mr Hrsto said.

“ALAND has grown considerably in the past two decades and we recognise the importance of us to give back to the local communities that have supported us for so long,” he said.

“The Community Projects Initiative is an invaluable opportunity for ALAND, and our employees, to volunteer their time and resources to local families and communities.”

ALAND nominated the Cancer Council as its chosen charity due to the positive impact it has on the Australian community.

“This cause is close to our hearts as many of us know someone whose life was affected by cancer. The Cancer Council does incredible work for the community by supporting people affected by cancer and funding world-class research to reduce cancer risk and save lives.”

“We are proud to kick off our first fundraising event with a charity that has a strong impact on Australian lives,” Mr Hrsto said.

Cancer Council Community Relations Manager Renee Piper said it was a great day and commended ALAND’s fundraising efforts.

“These community-based initiatives go such a long way in terms of raising awareness and valuable funds,” she said.

“Particularly after COVID halted events for two years, we are incredibly grateful to ALAND for voluntarily getting their team together and organising an event to raise significant money for a cause as worthy as cancer.”

Employees from all departments including sales, realty, human resources, construction and development were welcomed at the finish line with a barbecue at Cahill Park run by ALAND supplier, Harvey Norman.

Reece Commercial, one of ALAND’s suppliers, provided drink stations at the 4km and 8km points, supplying everyone with water, lollies, shirts and hats.

Andrew Hrsto added that the walk was a huge fundraising success while also strengthening the connections between all members of the business.

“Due to the pandemic, it has been a while since we have had the wider ALAND team come together,” he acknowledged.

“So it was great to get all our teams off-site to bring them together for the day to enjoy some fresh air, health and fitness while supporting a great cause.”

Plans are already underway to run Office2Ocean in 2023.