A legacy of giving

One lunch. Seven years. An extraordinary contribution to the future of Far North Queensland healthcare.
The Trinity Advisory Christmas Lunch has helped transform healthcare across Far North Queensland, and now its focus is turning to the region’s youngest patients, with children’s healthcare and paediatrics the next priority for the event’s passionate supporters.
Since its inception in 2020, the annual lunch has now raised $2.1 million for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation, building a remarkable legacy of community support and helping bring life-changing healthcare closer to home. The event’s attendees raised an incredible $317,000 this year, hosted again at Little Sister Restaurant on the Cairns Esplanade.
What began with one Far North Queensland family determined to make a difference has grown into a powerful partnership between Trinity Advisory, the Foundation and a community of generous supporters.
Trinity Advisory owner and director Rod Sherrington was just 46 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and accessed robotic surgery.
Knowing public patients in Far North Queensland did not have the same local access to the technology, Rod and wife Sue decided to do something about it.
The first four Trinity lunches helped drive the Foundation’s biggest fundraising campaign in its history, supporting the $4.3 million DaNi campaign to bring surgical robotic technology to the region. That campaign reached its target at last year’s Trinity lunch.
Having helped bring that vision to life, Trinity has now turned its attention to the next generation, supporting paediatrics and children’s healthcare across Far North Queensland.
Foundation CEO Gina Hogan said the continued commitment of the Sherrington family, the Trinity Advisory team and their supporters was making a lasting difference to healthcare in the region.
“The impact of this event extends well beyond the lunch itself. What Rod, Sue, the Trinity Advisory team and their supporters have helped achieve is extraordinary, and we are incredibly grateful for their ongoing commitment to the Foundation and the health of our community,” Mrs Hogan said.
“Their support helped make the $4.3 million surgical robot campaign a reality, bringing world-class technology closer to home for patients across Far North Queensland.
“Now, their decision to turn their attention to children’s healthcare is something we are particularly excited about. Every child deserves access to the best possible healthcare, close to their family and community.
“We are so grateful they have chosen to continue this journey with us. Their generosity and belief in what we can achieve together will help make a meaningful difference to children and families right across our region.”
From one personal experience to a community movement, Mr Sherrington said the event had become something he could never have envisaged when the first lunch was held in 2020.
“We started this because we saw something that needed to change, and we thought we could help. What we didn’t know was just how strongly the community would get behind us.
“Every year, people come back. They give, they bid, they sponsor and they support something bigger than themselves. We achieved what we set out to do with the surgical robot, and that was incredibly special.
“But there is always more we can do for our community. Now it’s about our kids and making sure children and families across Far North Queensland have access to the healthcare they need.
“I’m incredibly proud of what this event has become and grateful to everyone who has been part of it. None of this happens without the generosity of our supporters, and we look forward to continuing to make a difference together.”
Since its beginnings in 2020, the Trinity Advisory Christmas Lunch has become an important part of the Foundation’s fundraising calendar, demonstrating the extraordinary impact that can come from a shared commitment to improving local healthcare.
Mrs Hogan said the success of the event belonged to every person who had backed it along the way.
“Whether they have sponsored the event, donated an auction item, purchased a ticket or generously bid on the day, every supporter has played a part in what has been achieved.
“We thank Rod, Sue and the entire Trinity Advisory team for their vision and continued commitment, and everyone who has stood alongside them. Together, they are helping shape a healthier future for Far North Queensland.”