A Commitment That Goes Beyond Business
For Greatrex Marketing owner Darren Greatrex, supporting the South Australian community has long extended beyond the work we do with businesses, organisations and brands.
Darren has been involved with Variety – the Children's Charity SA for more than 20 years, dedicating hundreds of hours to fundraising, planning and helping deliver the annual SA Variety Bash.
What began as involvement in one of South Australia's best-known charity motoring events has grown into a long-standing commitment to helping children and families across the state.
The 2026 SA Variety Bash
The 2026 SA Variety Bash once again brought together colourful cars, dedicated crews, volunteers, sponsors and regional communities for an eight-day journey across South Australia.
This year's Bash raised an incredible $2.055 million for Variety SA, with more than $480,000 in grants delivered to children, families, schools and communities along the route.
Those grants included support for inclusive playgrounds, sporting equipment, accessible transport and assistance for individual South Australian families.
You can read more about the impact left behind by the 2026 SA Variety Bash and the grants delivered across South Australia .
When the Route Changed, the Purpose Didn't
The original 2026 Bash route was significantly affected by flooding across planned regions of Queensland and New South Wales, leaving tracks underwater and inaccessible.
With safety coming first, organisers made the decision to redesign the event and keep the Bash within South Australia.
The result was Pivot to Pirie — a new South Australian-focused route that allowed the event to continue supporting regional communities while maintaining the spirit and purpose of the Bash.
Variety SA explained the circumstances behind the change in its official 2026 Bash route announcement .
Darren's Role in the Bash
Darren's involvement with Variety goes well beyond participating in the drive.
As Chair of the SA Variety Bash, he has helped coordinate one of the organisation's major annual fundraising events, working alongside volunteers, entrants, sponsors and the wider Variety community.
The role requires months of preparation behind the scenes, from route planning and logistics to helping ensure the experience delivers meaningful support to the communities the Bash visits.
In 2025, the Bash achieved a record-breaking result of approximately $2.7 million net raised, an achievement Darren has previously described as one of the proudest outcomes of his involvement with Variety.
Another Special Recognition in 2026
Darren's fundraising commitment continued during the 2026 event.
OV1 – Darren & Tony were among six crews recognised with a Gold Heart for their fundraising efforts during this year's Bash.
Their recognition was included among the 2026 SA Variety Bash fundraising award recipients .
Seeing Where the Support Goes
Fundraising totals are important, but one of the most meaningful parts of the Bash is seeing the impact first-hand.
As the convoy travels through regional South Australia, crews have the opportunity to meet children, families, schools and organisations that benefit from Variety's support.
For many participants, those moments are what make months of fundraising and preparation worthwhile.
The colourful cars may be what people notice first, but behind them is a much larger purpose: creating opportunities and providing practical support for South Australian children who are sick, experiencing disadvantage or living with disability.
Community at the Heart of Greatrex
Greatrex Marketing has been proudly South Australian for decades, working with businesses, sporting organisations, community groups and corporate teams throughout Adelaide and across Australia.
Darren's commitment to Variety reflects many of the same values that have shaped Greatrex — building long-term relationships, following through on commitments and supporting the communities around us.
For us, community involvement isn't simply something that sits beside the business. It's part of the people behind the business.
We're incredibly proud of Darren's continued contribution to Variety SA and of everyone who helped make the 2026 Bash another successful year for South Australian kids.
You can learn more about our people, history and community involvement on the Greatrex Marketing About Us page .