Rob McMillan lines up from
three-point range
UP FOR G
(from left) P
Pacey and
Boost for Wheelie Mates
F
OR more than a decade, Graham
Wheeler, has been quietly lending a
hand to a slew of Townsville charities.
Last month he made a
diff erence at Mates4Mates.
Wanting to be eff ective in the long-
term, he established the Wheeler Family
Charitable Endowment in 2006.
He and wife Desley gave annuity
specialists Prudential a sizeable
sum with which to begin and, with
their management of the endowment,
coupled with further personal
contributions have been able to
distribute more than $100,000 across
a range of charities each year since.
While he concentrated on organisations
that had a particular interest in
Townsville, he also supported the Fred
Hollows Foundation and the Royal
Flying Doctor Service each year, he said.
The endowment also sponsored six
vehicles for the Blue Nurses in the city.
Last month, at the behest of
one of the Mates who used
the Mates4Mates facility - Jim
Morrison - he donated $7500 to buy
a sporting wheelchair to add to the
centre’s growing stock of chairs.
It is Graham’s fi rst involvement
with Mates4Mates but he
couldn’t be happier about it.
One of the original Nashos called
up in the fi rst intake in 1965, he was
allowed to defer until the third intake
so he could complete his studies.
Army benefi ted from the delay,
because, as a health inspector he
was posted to the unit tasked with
preparing prepare hygiene offi cers -
who were actually sergeants for the
most part - to deploy overseas where
they would look after sanitation and
help to protect their unit from illness.
A few months later, he was sent to
Goldie River near Port Moresby in
Papua New Guinea where he was
stationed for about 15 months.
As a civilian, however, his
connection to the military is strongest
through the Salvation Army.
He has been involved in fundraising,
particularly, with the Salvos for
about 25 years and for 12 years, was
chairman of the Good Shepherd Home.
Graham said his other claim to fame
was that at the end of his last week as
a health inspector at the Townsville
City Council, his pay was delivered
in pounds, shillings and pence, and
the next week, his fi rst in the Army,
it was paid in dollars and cents.
Mates4Mates manager Denis
Devantier said the wheelchair
purchased with Graham’s donation
would be much appreciated and would
be “much used” by the Mates4Mates
sporting wheelie groups.
Graham Wheeler (left) and Mates4Mates
Townsville manager Denis Devantier
42 | JUNE 2017