CONJOLA Recovery Group member, Peter Dunn, never expected to leave a corporate function with more than $100,000 in the bank.
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The funds, collected earlier in the year, will be used to support projects in the bushfire devastated Conjola area.
The Conjola Rural Fire Service will get $50,000 which will go towards a new kitchen.
Captain of the Conjola RFS Brigade Clive Turner thanked the Conjola Recovery Group for its support.
Mr Dunn went to the group's station on Sunday to talk about the project and told them how he ended up with such an amazing amount of money.
It [the donation] was a way of showing how the efforts of the RFS volunteers were appreciated.
A firm called NEXTGEN runs a gathering of corporate business leaders each year and close to 100 people attend a leadership forum.
NEXTGEN is a pioneering specialist technology distributor that brings together established and emerging vendors to deliver tailored data centres.
Chris Ryan, director of Admin Plus in Ulladulla is part of the NEXTGEN network and used his connections to help get the funds raised for the brigade.
After the forum, Mr Dunn said they stage a "summer party".
Mr Dunn and his wife Lindy were invited to attend the gathering in Sydney and speak at the forum.
Sir Peter Cosgrove was the keynote speaker and former RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons was another guest.
"We are colleagues of a lifetime," former Major General Peter Dunn said regarding his connection to Sir Peter.
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Sir Peter and Shane Fitzsimmons formed the guest panel, along with the Conjola Recovery Group Member.
Mr Dunn spoke about the leadership he witnessed around the Conjola area.
He empathised how leadership should be all-inclusive with all age groups and genders represented.
"I must say it was taken on board and there was a tremendous conversation from the corporates about that," Mr Dunn said.
Then came the fundraising section.
"It was made known these corporates would be asked to contribute to a fundraiser for the Conjola area and it was to include the RFS, " Mr Dunn said.
It was moved quickly that the wording stressed Conjola RFS.
"At the end of the presentations, John Walters the CEO of NEXTGEN stood up and said 'we want you to start emptying your pockets'," Mr Dunn said.
Mr Walters auctioned off seats for a lunch with Sir Peter, Shane Fitzimmons and Mr Dunn.
The luncheon, which has not been held yet, will be in the Macquarie Bank's boardroom.
A total of 20 seats were on offer.
"At the end of the bidding they had raised $120,000," Mr Dunn said.
A month later $110,000 was officially put into the bank.
"That is a remarkable recovery rate from pledges," Mr Dunn said.
The Boleyn Foundation on its own donated $50,000.
Mr Dunn said the end result was $50,000 would go to the Conjola RFS and $50,600 for infrastructure projects for the area.
"The $50,000 is to be spent in the way the Conjola RFS wanted," Mr Dunn said.
A photo of Mr Dunn with Sir Peter and Shane Fitzsimons at the forum was presented to the Conjola RFS to record this amazing donation.
"Everyone thinks you are doing a magnificent job and you will continue to do it. So thank you, everybody, for what you have done," Mr Dunn said.
The photo will be going into the brigade's training room, which is part of the facility upgrade.
All the facility plans are currently being completed and some other adjustments are to be made.
Captain Turner said he hopes the plans will be approved as soon as possible.
Mr Dunn also hopes the process is completed sooner rather than later and suggests keeping pressure on the decision-makers could be the way to get the project started and completed in a timely fashion.
