What’s Happening?
Biloela residents gathered at Biloela Bowls Club on Saturday, 1 August 2026, for the annual Joel Weeks Memorial Bowls Day. The event honoured Joel, whom Matthew and Lynn Weeks lost in a tragic car accident three years ago.
The program combined lawn bowls, a show and shine, children’s activities, an auction and a multi-draw raffle. Through the Joel Weeks Legacy Foundation, the family now channels the memorial’s proceeds into practical local health projects. Residents, sponsors, volunteers and supporters from outside Biloela helped make this year’s event its strongest yet.
Why It Matters
For Matthew, the day keeps his son’s memory close while supporting the community Joel loved to help.
“We’re here today to celebrate the memorial of my son Joel Weeks,” Mr Weeks said. “Lynn and I lost him three years ago in a tragic car accident. We’ve built a foundation and legacy of Joel.”
Mr Weeks thanked the community, sponsors, committee members, friends, family and visitors who travelled to support the event.
“I can’t say enough thanks to everybody involved,” he said. “People travelled and made this day a huge success.”
Foundation committee member Terry Zillmann said the event had grown stronger every year.
“The first year we thought couldn’t be beaten. The second year, it beat it,” he said. “The third year, it’s gone and done it again.”
“If you want to know what community looks like, that’s what community looks like,” Mr Zillmann said. “We live in the best community in Australia. We’re very proud of it.”
Local Impact
This year’s proceeds will support an upgrade to Biloela Hospital’s palliative care ward and add funding for the planned helipad.
“The palliative care ward hasn’t been upgraded for a number of years,” Mr Weeks said.
He has worked closely with the hospital’s Director of Nursing and the General Manager from Gladstone. Both attended the fundraiser and supported its purpose. Mr Weeks said the upgrade could make a difficult period more comfortable for patients and their families.
The foundation also presented more defibrillators, extending the emergency network created after its first memorial fundraiser.
Mr Zillmann said the program reflected Joel’s character. “Joel loved helping people, and that project’s just gone on to be the greatest of legacies for him.”
The planned Biloela helipad is also well into planning, and the foundation will contribute more funds this year.
“It won’t be long before we’re turning dirt,” Mr Zillmann said. “We’ll see a world-class helipad for Biloela in the name of Joel Weeks. You can’t ask for more than that.”
By the Numbers
Early figures suggest the 2026 event could produce its largest result yet, although organisers were still completing the count.
- The donated auction items raised more than $80,000, while the multi-draw could lift the final result above $100,000. Local donors also provided more than $12,500 in raffle prizes.
- The first memorial raised $65,829, followed by $77,105 in the second year. Crossing $100,000 this year would take the three-year total close to a quarter of a million dollars.
- Two defibrillators presented on the day lifted the community network to 16 units. Panthers Rugby League Football Club jerseys also sold for an average of more than $1,000 each.
Zoom In
The auction’s most personal item was a custom bar created by one of Joel’s friends and their family. Ayla Custom Stickers completed the finish, prompting Matthew and Lynn to decide they had to bring it home.
“My wife and I bought the bar. I would have paid anything for it,” Mr Weeks said. “We purchased it for four and a half thousand, which is chicken feed, but it goes to a great cause.”
Mr Weeks said he would have paid more, while thanking everyone who contributed to the bar. Panthers players also donated their match jerseys after playing that day and, as Mr Zillmann noted, they had washed them. Each jersey fetched an average above $1,000, adding a major boost to the auction total.
Zoom Out
Over three years, the memorial has become a sustained source of support for Biloela. The first year’s money funded defibrillators, while the second supported planning for the helipad. This year’s proceeds will connect the same community effort with palliative care and further helipad funding.
Mr Zillmann said residents could see where the money was being spent.
“These have all gone towards community projects where people can see the money being spent,” he said. “Every single dollar of it.”
What To Look For Next?
Once organisers finish counting the multi-draw, they can confirm whether the 2026 result passed $100,000. A confirmed total would also show whether three-year fundraising reached close to a quarter of a million dollars.
Work with hospital leaders can then shape the palliative care upgrade, while further support will keep the helipad moving. With planning well advanced, Mr Zillmann believes construction on the helipad could begin soon.
