By Margaret Maccoll
When real estate principal Tom Offermann donated $82,500 to the Coast Guard on Monday he told members it was a pleasure to support the association and asked why the government didn’t.
He said when he saw members asking for dollar coins at the markets and Noosa ferry he felt for them, knowing their time would be better spent in their work.
“It’s something I felt government should be funding,” he said.
“When I was young the ambulance had to go out and fund-raise.”
Tom said his donation would be only a small part of the money they need to operate the lifesaving service.
He said he wondered what they would do if they needed to purchase a new vessel.
“I live by the river and see a lot of their work,” he said.
“We feel a social responsibility to give back to the community. It’s for a really valuable service that everyone appreciates.”
Tom supports several services in the community including the surf lifesaving club, which he has backed for the past 25 years.
