Once again this year, a group of mates from Singapore crossed the water to Batam to play golf in honour of Lachie. It is a simple idea, but it has come to mean a great deal.

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Expat Livina began as a way to welcome people who had made their way to Singapore, and to bring them together with those who already called it home.

 

Lachie was one of us. He was a fantastic father, husband and friend, and he would have loved to be out on the course with us. In his absence, we carry on what he started, and over the years it has grown into something far bigger than a day of golf.

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At its heart, Expat Livina is about men coming together. It is about creating a space where we can share what is on our minds, ask questions, ask for help, and raise awareness about the issues that too often go unspoken. Many of us were raised to be tough, to stand tall and to say nothing. Days like this remind us that it is perfectly human to feel worried or uncertain, and that there is strength in saying so. When everything else is stripped away, friendship and family matter far more than ego.

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That is the heart of the Lachlan Kean Foundation's message, and the reason we play for it. Colorectal cancer is a disease where early testing can change lives. Getting tested is nothing to fear. It is simply something every one of us should do.

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This year's event brought together close to fifty people from many different walks of life. Some were old friends, and many were new faces, but everyone shared the same ethos: do good, feel good, do it with your friends, and be open to new experiences. Our twelve team captains, each a friend or loved one of Lachie's, helped shape the day, and it could not have happened without them. The golf was spirited, the company was better, and by the end of the day new friendships had formed that we expect will last. Everyone left knowing there is a community in Singapore they can call on whenever they need it, which matters a great deal when family is far away.

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Together, we raised over $23,000 for the foundation's work on colorectal cancer. That figure reflects the generosity of everyone who played and of those who could not join us but gave all the same. We are deeply grateful to every one of them, and to the venue that hosts us so warmly each year.

 

Many of Lachie's closest friends are in Australia, and we want them to know that those of us in Singapore are still thinking of him. We cannot be there for every embrace or every milestone, but the memories remain strong, and this is our way of carrying them forward from here.

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Thank you to everyone who has supported this cause. Your generosity keeps Lachie's story, and his message, alive.

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Henry Wood and William Brocklehurst
Expat Livina Organising Committee