About Us
Since establishment in November 2014, Superheroes Events Limited has achieved some world-first achievements, established Kidditch as a new Guinness World Records category (Jan 2017), held the inaugural Guinness World Records Official Title Attempt for the Largest Kidditch Tournament (Oct 2017), became the first successful Guinness World Records Largest Kidditch Tournament champions (Jan 2019), launched the insugural Kidditch World Cup (May 2019), established numerous fictional Shoalhaven/NSW/Australia pop culture POP Worlds, events, and activities, and created Australian and World First characters Master & Miss Brix Fundraising Superheroes (Sep 2018), and the Buy a “Superheroes” Brick donation Campaign (Nov 2019).
In view of the continued evolving expansion of operations and fundraising developments, Superheroes Events Limited (SEL) is establishing a new business, Superheroes Community Care (SCC), with the specific future purpose to receive and distribute SEL’s fundraising and donations proceeds to the promoted cause(s)
Through the Shoalhaven Superheroes Festival, Events, and Activities, make the Shoalhaven region the Superheroes capital of NSW / Australia.
Our Passion
Encouraging, recognising, supporting, and celebrating volunteerism in the Shoalhaven region – our real Shoalhaven Community Superheroes!
Superheroes Community Care has recently been established to broaden the charitable fundraising and donations activities of the Shoalhaven Superheroes Festival. 100% of fundraising and donation proceeds go to providing short-stay accommodation assistance to families with chronically ill kids and/or families requiring benevolent assistance at the Superheroes Community Care Respite Retreats.
Meet the Directors and Team
David Arakie
Founding Director
David has been a Director of SEL’s since it was established in November 2014, and is the Founder and Organiser of the Shoalhaven Superheroes Festival.
He has a long and successful career in banking in the UK and Australia, working with government, companies, corporations, and developing strategic alliances relationships. David has also worked in the community service industry, involving world-first philanthropic program development and management, event organisation, arranging corporate sponsorship, and charitable fundraising.
Anna Kemp
Director & Treasurer
I’ve been with Shoalhaven South Coast Superheroes for 7 years as a volunteer and now Director and Treasurer. I enjoy being part of the team, meeting people and helping to raise money for South Coast families and children requiring assistance to have short stays at our two respite retreats at Shoalhaven Heads.
My interests include card making and scrapbooking. Also travel, at present travelling within Australia and marvelling at this beautiful country of ours. I have also travelled a little in Europe and North America. I also enjoy going to shows and dining with friends.
David Landrigan
Director
David has lived in the Shoalhaven area for 15 years, having moved from Penrith NSW. David both owned and ran Redback Automotive’s workshop for the last 30 years, and together with his wife Ellen, has also owned and operated a bus company in Penrith called Maxi Buses, with operations expanding with the introduction of Shoalhaven Maxi Buses 5 years ago.
Ellen Landrigan
Director
Ellen has been in the workforce since she was 15, and has had many roles from owning her own Country Wares Store in Penrith to owning a car detailing business also in Penrith. Ellen also works for Maxi Buses in Penrith, doing special needs transport for school children as a driver and carer. She moved to the Shoalhaven with her husband David about 15 years ago and hasn’t looked back.
Daniel Zachariou
Alternative Director - Supanova
Daniel grew up, eventually in his estimation, and went to UNSW for his degree. Before that he spent his life accumulating copious amounts of pop culture information in the fields of comics, cartoons, sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, toys, anime and more! He was so good at it that in 2000 he was encouraged to create what eventually became, Supanova Comic Con & Gaming; an event that now tours Australia annually entertaining like-minded fans.
Sharon Garcia
Sunset Haven Ambassador - Alternate Director
Sharon was previously a school teacher, and following retirement, has been a respite carer for 20 years and provides home share as a caregiver in her own home as part of her passion giving back to the community and helping families in need.
Sharon is also the ambassador for the Superheroes Community Care Sunset Haven Retreat.
Phillipa Cook
Account's Payable Officer
Phillipa has been an SEL director for 6 years. She has previous experience in assisting with the development of strategic and corporate alliance fundraising programs, including their financial and administrative operations. She also runs a ladies’ fashion boutique in Berry, NSW, which she has done for 17 years. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Newcastle, Australia.
Stephen Hunter
Superheroes Community Care Charity Patron
Kirra Poulos
Cosplay Ambassador
Kalinya Cosplay is a passionate Australian cosplayer and community advocate who has been bringing beloved characters to life since 2015. With a special love for The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, and Disney, Kalinya loves creating detailed cosplays that inspire and bring happiness, using her craft as a way to give back and support the community.
Andrew Zachariou
Alternate Director - Supanova / ShoalPOP Ambassador
Lina Konstantinidis
Alternate Director - Supanova / Superheroes Commuity Care Superhero
Scott Brewer
Superheroes Community Care Ambassador
Addisyn Ewun
Superheroes Community Care Kids Ambassador - WA
Addisyn is a fun-loving 7-year-old with a big heart and an even bigger personality! A proud Year 2 student, she shines brightest in Maths—her favourite subject—where she loves solving problems and showing off her smart thinking.
When she’s not in the classroom, Addisyn can be found exploring the great outdoors. She loves camping under the stars, fishing adventures, riding her scooter, and spending quality time with friends and family. Creative to the core, she enjoys singing, dancing, drawing and anything artistic that lets her imagination run wild.
Funny, caring, and full of charisma, Addisyn brings smiles wherever she goes. Her super hero character she would like to be is a secret spy.
Faith Bywater
Superheroes Community Care Kids Ambassador - NSW
Faith is a bright and intelligent 9-year-old young lady who has always had everyone else’s best interest at heart. Faith loves the Shoalhaven region and going to the beach, and her favourite things to do are gymnastics and dancing.
Her superheroes are Rumi from K-Pop Demon Hunters and Harley Quinn.
Faith is very excited and honoured to be a part of the volunteer charity team, and looks forward to what this exciting journey brings her way. Her family support her 100% on this new venture with Shoalhaven Superheroes and Superheroes Community Care.
Monique Jeremiah
Superheroes Community Care Diversity Retreat - Queensland Ambassador
Monique is an ex-university Griffith University graduate, academic within both the RTO and university sector across Queensland, experienced homestay provider of 10 years, and current commercial model. Monique is the sole Director and entrepreneur behind Diversity Models, Australia’s first NDIS Registered Provider modelling agency which still specialises in managing disability models. With a passion for integrity and innovation, she is also Founder of Diversity Models Academy.
Business Achievement Highlights
The first fictional POP world was BerryPOP (The Shire of Berry Potter), established in 2014, which covers the Shoalhaven geographical areas of Jaspers Brush, Berry, Coolangatta, and Shoalhaven Heads. All events and activities held in the Shire of Berry Potter are Harry Potter theme related.
In 2016 and 2017, SEL’s BerryPOP Shire of Berry Potter co-hosted Quidditch Australia’s national QuidCamp Quidditch tournaments as part of the Shoalhaven Superheroes Festival at Berry Sport & Recreation Centre, Shoalhaven, NSW.
In late 2016, SEL established with Guinness World Records a new Record Category for Kidditch – a boys and girls, no snitch, non-contact version of Quidditch, which was made famous by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books and movies.
On 31 October 2017 at Shoalhaven Heads, NSW, in the BerryPOP Shire of Berry Potter, SEL successfully held the inaugural Guinness World Records Official Record Attempt for the Largest Kidditch Tournament. 260 students aged between 7 and 13 years of age from Berry, Nowra, and Shoalhaven Heads Public Schools took place in the Official Record Attempt.
In January 2019, Guinness World Records confirmed SEL’s Official Record Attempt for the Largest Kidditch Tournament was successful. With the Acting Minister of Sports NSW, the formal acknowledgement of this World first achievement took place at the Speaker’s Garden, Parliament House, Sydney, on 23 October 2019. Also in attendance was the Premier of NSW.
In May 2019, SEL launched the inaugural Kidditch World Cup Tournament, which was held on 22 November 2019, in the BerryPOP Shire of Berry Potter at Berry Cool Estate, Coolangatta, NSW. The inaugural Kidditch World Cup Tournament Champions are Bomaderry Public School.
Charity Achievement Highlights
On 13th August, 2018, SEL’s application to be a Charitable Fundraising Authority was approved, CFN/24973, following which, Shoalhaven Superheroes Festival Events activities commenced, raising funds for a Shoalhaven Family Facility (now Superheroes Community Care).
In June 2019, SEL started raising funds for the Shack Shoalhaven Superheroes River Retreat, later the Superheroes Community Care River Retreat on River Road, Shoalhaven Heads NSW, and now for the Superheroes Community Care Country Retreat and Sunset Haven Retreat to provide short-stay accommodation for families with chronically ill kids and/or families requiring benevolent assistance.
On 11 September, 2020, SEL registered Superheroes Community Care (SCC) as a business name. SCC was established in October 2020 specifically to receive the ongoing fundraising and donation proceeds from SEL’s Shoalhaven South Coast Superheroes Festival (SSCSF) events and activities, including the Master & Miss Brix Buy a “Superheroes” Brick (fictional) donation campaign, and arrange distribution in accordance with SEL’s promoted charitable object cause(s).
As part of SEL’s evolving fundraising activities, SEL changed its legal structure to being an ACNC Charity, Public Benevolent Institution with Deductible Gifts Recipient status (Application with new SEL constitution submitted to ASIC and ACNC in November 2020).
In April/May 2021, SEL officially launched the Superheroes Community Care River Retreat (River Retreat), and the commencement of respite accommodation stays for families with chronically ill kids and/or families requiring benevolent assistance.
100% of SEL/SCC fundraising and donations proceeds continue to go to the promoted charitable cause being the Superheroes Community Care Country Retreat and Sunset Haven Retreat. SEL will absorb the fundraising events, marketing, promotion, and administration costs, so that 100% of monies raised goes to the Respite Retreats cause.
With the introduction of SCC, SEL will be able to umbrella and uniformly brand its future charity strategy.
The SSF events have previously helped raise funds for other charities, and other community organisations including Ronald McDonald House Charities for a potential Shoalhaven RMHC Family Facility at Nowra District Memorial Hospital, Kookaburra Kids, Nurses on Wheels, Flagstaff Group, Saving Chloe Saxby, Community Gateway, and PCYC Shoalhaven.
To date, SEL has raised over $550,000.00 for charities and community causes.
Our Amazing Shoalhaven Superheroes Volunteer Teams
From day one, “Putting Lots of Smiles on Lots of Dials”, Celebrating Pop Culture Fun, and “Giving Back to the Community” have been central to the ethos and volunteer work of SEL.
SEL has two volunteer teams now – one focusing on the fundraising events and activities of SSF called the Capital Team, and the River Retreat Team for the maintenance and operation of the River Road property. The establishment of the volunteers Shoalhaven Superheroes River Retreat Team has already attracted new volunteers with different experiences and skills, including healthcare. The two teams consist of some 20 volunteers, mainly from the Bomaderry, Nowra, Coolangatta, and Shoalhaven Heads areas.
The role of the Shoalhaven Superheroes volunteers also extends to the respite renovation, cleaning services, and fundraising for the River Retreat.
SEL and out Shoalhaven Superheroes volunteers are very grateful for the fantastic support of our Patrons, Major Festival Sponsors, Business Sponsors, Community Partners, and Preferred Service Suppliers. Our patrons and a current list of sponsors can be found on our Sponsors & Patrons page. Some of these relationships have been ongoing since SSF’s establishment in 2015.
We are Shoalhaven Superheroes – we welcome your support!
