General News
19 December, 2024
Coffee and cars for local cancer support
Local community organisations and the people they assist will benefit from the activities of the Gilgandra Tractor and Machinery Club Inc.
Concerted efforts by the club in recent months to raise funds for local organisations, as well as a food drive for the less fortunate, have resulted in several local groups receiving welcome support just before Christmas.
Late last week, club representatives delivered food items obtained from its donation-drive to the Gilgandra Youth Club and Barnardos for distribution to those in need.
On Sunday, tractor club members also gathered for the final Coffee and Cars event for the year and presented the Gilgandra and District Cancer Fundrais-ers’ with two separate donations.
Group president Wendy Nelson was thrilled to receive a cheque for $500 from the Tractor Club, and an additional $600 raised from a combination of the Coffee and Cars donation tin and some last-minute donations to the club.
“We’re a local organisation that looks after any of our local people who are suffering with cancer,” Wendy told The Gilgandra Weekly, thanking the club for its support.
Car club vice president Barry Robinson said that the Coffee and Cars donations came from the very generous public supporting their monthly classic-car events in the Gilgandra CBD.
“It’s voluntary, a gold coin donation on the day, but we also take ‘IOUs’, credit cards and $50 notes,” he joked.
About two-thirds of the club’s 140 members own classic or historic vehicles, he added. Some 25 classic cars and four motorcycles were on display at the December 15 event in the main street.
A $500 donation also intended for the Gilgandra Health Service’s Windmill Cottage could not be presented in person on the day, as a representative did not attend. Arrangements will be made to deliver the donation to the hospital.
Tractor club president Ally Prout said it was pleasing to be able to support local organisations and in turn, local people. “We’re pleased to help the community where we can, and very happy that [our donations] are spent here in the local area,” Ally said.
The club’s food donation-drive also went extremely well this year, and Barry Robinson thanked the community and local businesses for supporting it. “We had a $500 donation from the Burrell family which was spent buying food [for the donation-drive], and also the IGA donated $100,” Barry said.
“Linda Burgess from Café 41 also donated $150 this morning to Coffee and Cars,” he added. “She was putting money in the donation box from the coffee she was selling our members.”
Barry also paid tribute to club member Vikki Gardiner, who coordinated the food donation-drive. “She did it all,” he said.
With cost-of-living pressures hitting regional communities just as hard as big urban centres, the club is pleased to be able to further support those in need in Gilgandra through the food donation-drive. “Things are pretty tight [everywhere],” Barry concluded.
