30 January 2026
Lifesaving support leads to an unexpected $10,000 raffle win
For Marcus, becoming a Royal Life Saving WA Royalty VIP Club supporter was never about winning a prize. It was about giving back to a cause he genuinely believes in.
With “a strong respect for lifesavers,” supporting Royal Life Saving WA felt like a natural choice. Marcus joined the Royalty VIP Club after speaking with one of our face-to-face fundraisers at a BP service station in Kalgoorlie in April 2025.
An average swimmer by his own account, he grew up in Sydney with a backyard pool where he saw firsthand how quickly things can go wrong around water. On one occasion, while keeping an eye on a friend’s three-year-old daughter at a gathering, he saw her jump into the deep end after a pool toy and begin to sink. He was already in the water and was able to pull her out immediately, but the experience stayed with him and reinforced the critical importance of swimming and lifesaving skills.
That perspective is what led him to sign up as a VIP supporter. As Marcus puts it, he didn’t sign up to win but to help, because “everyone deserves a chance for their lives to be saved.” His support for lifesavers extends beyond Royal Life Saving WA, with Marcus also donating to organisations such as Surf Life Saving, Royal Flying Doctors and Life Flight.
“I know lots of people out there can’t donate or sign up, but everyone at some point in their lives will need help, so I want to help.”
When the call came through, Marcus admitted winning was the last thing on his mind. Working as a truck driver, he was between delivery runs when he noticed a missed call and phoned back. On the other end was Royal Life Saving WA Executive Manager Allan Godfrey, calling with the news that Marcus had won $10,000 in the Loyal Supporter Bonus Draw. 
At first, Marcus did not believe it. He said it “honestly felt like a farce,” and asked if he could come in and meet Allan that same day to make sure it was real.
It was not until he walked through the doors at Royal Life Saving WA’s Mt Claremont office that it started to sink in. With the office quiet over the Christmas and New Year period, Marcus sat down with Allan and Kirstie, General Manager of Corporate Services, for a cup of tea and a chat. When Kirstie organised the bank transfer and the money appeared in his account, it finally felt real. Marcus says his jaw dropped and the whole experience felt surreal.
Marcus plans to put the prize money towards a holiday to China with his wife. He previously travelled to Beijing and Shanghai in 2014 and is looking forward to returning and sharing the experience with her. Marcus keeps it in perspective, saying that generosity should never be driven by the expectation of a reward.
With fatal drownings across Australia 27% higher last year than the 10-year average, learning to swim and practise water safety has never been more important.
Join the Royalty VIP Club today for a chance to win while helping others learn to Swim and Survive.
