The Buhk Wilkes Lifesaving Club of the Year Award is one of Sunshine Coast Branch's most prestigious lifesaving honours, recognising the club that demonstrates excellence across all aspects of lifesaving operations throughout the entire patrol season.

Named in honour of Bill Buhk and Fred Wilkes, the award celebrates clubs that uphold the highest standards of service, commitment and professionalism both on the beach and behind the scenes. It recognises that outstanding lifesaving is built on strong leadership, effective administration, well-trained members and consistently high operational standards.

The award is designed to encourage continuous improvement across all clubs while recognising those who exemplify best practice in:

• Lifesaving operations and patrol excellence
• Training and member capability
• Patrol management and efficiency
• Club administration and governance
• Operational readiness and continuous improvement
• Building a strong, positive lifesaving culture

More than a competition, the Buhk Wilkes Award provides clubs with an opportunity to benchmark their performance, celebrate their achievements and identify opportunities for future growth. It promotes excellence across the Sunshine Coast Branch and reinforces our shared commitment to delivering safe, professional and effective lifesaving services to our communities.

We encourage every club to participate and showcase the outstanding work being undertaken throughout the season.