Daniel Marshall has raised over US$40,000 to support a local charity in Jacksonville, USA.
In 2016, Daniel was one of the first people to be hired in Macquarie’s Jacksonville office and is now a manager in Financial Management, People and Engagement. He became involved with the Macquarie Group Foundation (Foundation) via Foundation Week six years ago, when he and his colleagues in the Wellness Employee Network Group were fundraising for a variety of charities.
In 2020, Daniel and the team were looking for a new project to support that addressed mental health. At a local arts market, he discovered Friends of the Labyrinth at Peace Park. A citizen committee was formed to work with the City of Jacksonville and Riverside Avondale Preservation to build a labyrinth in the Peace Memorial Rose Garden.
“I didn't know what a labyrinth was at that point, but they planned to create a walkable meditative space in this underutilised, neglected park,” Daniel says.
“The fact that it was a small, local grassroots initiative appealed, because we knew the amount of money we could raise could make a meaningful difference for the local community”.
Daniel set off on a three-year goal to raise the $US25,000 needed to get the project off the ground with city planning.
The Peace Memorial Rose Garden, Jacksonville, Florida, United States.
“The bonus matching during Foundation Week provides a real driver for people to leverage Macquarie’s generosity.”
External businesses were approached to donate prizes and gift cards, which spread awareness and fundraising efforts beyond Macquarie. As more people became involved, the plans for the Labyrinth at Peace Park grew.
“It kept getting bigger, so we kept at it,” Daniel says. “I love that we were at the forefront of starting this momentum.”
Daniel and his team ultimately raised $US40,000, which Macquarie matched.
That’s when a local family, J. Wayne and Delores Weaver, the former owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars, agreed to match Macquarie’s contribution. The Weaver Foundation also made a commitment to cover the upkeep costs, in perpetuity, under a public-private partnership with City Council.
The outline of the set to be built Labyrinth.
The 40-foot stone Labyrinth, which is expected to be built later this year, will be wheelchair accessible and modeled on the famous Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France with an 11-circuit medieval labyrinth design.
Daniel shared that the park was initially created to celebrate world peace, yet over the years, the flowers withered and the park fell into disarray. Two local women who lived nearby had a dream of recreating a space with a meditative labyrinth and hosting events in the park, such as yoga, all for the benefit of mental and physical health.
“A walking labyrinth is designed to provide meditation, relaxation, reflection, promote introspection, and bring a sense of inner peace. Unlike a maze, which is intended to confuse, a labyrinth is a single path that leads to one's center. Roses have already been replanted and we can't wait to break ground on the rest!” said Daniel.
Being part of this has had a positive impact on my life, and the exposure it has brought the office has been great.”
Daniel Marshall,
Financial Management, People and Engagement,
Macquarie Group
“There are many companies that will write you a cheque, but Macquarie really encourages you and makes it easier to get involved in projects that are meaningful to you,” Daniel explains. “It’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my career.”
Ewan MacLeod cycled through Sri Lanka to raise £27,900 for a UK charity established by Sri Lankan expatriates, called Friends of Manipay Hospital. It supports the vital services of Green Memorial Hospital, in the suburb of Manipay, in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna.
The structure and building are old, in need of refurbishment and it was closed for 20 years,” Ewan says. “There are bullet holes in the walls from the civil war.”
The hospital is not-for-profit and independent, providing medical care to those in need who fall outside of government provision and cannot afford private care.
The trustees who founded the charity wanted to provide healthcare to those who needed it, but might not be able to afford it, they also wanted to provide employment opportunities for nurses, doctors, carers and teachers through the hospital.”
Ewan MacLeod
Risk Management Group,
Macquarie Group
Ewan was inspired to get involved because his wife’s family are Sri Lankan expats who support the organisation. In 2024, he and his wife completed the annual “Ride for Ceylon”, a 400km-500km cycle to raise money for the charity.
It saw them ride from the city of Kandy in the central mountains of Sri Lanka to Jaffna in the North over four days.
Ewan (front-right) cycling in Sri Lanka.
As an Associate Director in Macquarie’s Risk Management Group, Ewan’s day job sees him covering real estate lending and investing activities out of Europe.
Leading up to the event he trained by cycling to work each day and shared his fundraising goals with his colleagues and others, who all contributed generously.
“The cycle was well organised - we were up by 3:30am and on the road by 4am, finishing cycling by 10am to avoid the extreme midday heat and humidity,” he says. “We saw elephants and monkeys in the wild and had to avoid carrying fruit as it could attract their attention.”
“I’d never done anything like this before, but I ended up raising more than £27,900 from donations within and outside of Macquarie.”
“I continued to speak to people and fundraise after the event, because after going to Sri Lanka I could see the pressing need for access to healthcare but also how far our donations can go.”
The Friends of Manipay Hospital in Sri Lanka, which Ewan helped fundraise for.
Overall, the whole ride raised enough funds to upgrade the functionality of the operating theatre, employ more doctors and nurses, and rewire an old wing so it could expand the number of beds.
Ewan says he enjoyed seeing the beautiful countryside and working as a team with his cyclemates to help each other finish the gruelling race.
“Cycling through a country is a great way to see it,” he says.
At the end of the cycle, Ewan and the other riders received a tour of the hospital.
“It was very motivating for me to see the hospital and the work being done, and the enthusiasm and gratitude of the staff,” Ewan says. “It is reliant on the diaspora and our fundraising made a huge impact on what the hospital can achieve.”
He plans to complete another cycle to fundraise further, this time through Wales, from Bristol to Bangor.
“The Foundation’s fundraising matching is important and I think I achieved more donations because of it - people know their money goes further if they donate.”
Learn more
