The Goomeri Pumpkin Festival has come and gone for another year! And we got to be there to celebrate.
The Festival supports the rural town of Goomeri, and shows appreciation for primary producers. Primary producers are very important to us here at Rural Aid, so we were thrilled to attend. The Great Australian Pumpkin Roll is the highlight of the festival, with over 600 Pumpkin Rollers getting involved.
Rural Aid would like to extend a big thank you to the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival Committee for inviting us along to the annual event. By all accounts it was an excellent day, and we were very well received. Rural Aid will be visiting Proston before the end of June on a Farm Rescue trip, we look forward to seeing everyone again!
Pictured above is the stall that Tracy and Charles set up early on Sunday morning in the main street of Goomeri. A former Rural Aid volunteer, Sue, even made the trip to help man the stall for the day.
CENTRAL Highlands Toyota, in conjunction with the Emerald Golf Club, will be hosting a Rural Aid Charity Golf Day from 9am, May 18
The Charity Golf Day will aim to raise as much money as possible for Rural Aid, which continues to work for farmers in the Central Highlands.
PRIZES: Karen Wedel, Jessica Gibbs and Hayley Felix from Central Highlands Toyota showing what can be won on the day. Contributed
Jessica Gibbs, event organiser from Central Highlands Toyota, said the goal for the event is simple with the help of sponsors.
“We are just trying to raise enough money for Rural Aid,” Ms Gibbs said.
“They do the buy a bale program and adopt a farmer program.
“We want to give a special thank you to Oakey Creek, they’ve sponsored $5000 for the event.
“This gives $16,000 so far sponsored for the event.
“We would also like a special mention to some of our other sponsors – Frontline Equipment Maintenance, Rolleston Coal, Mader Qld, AP Eagers and Light Vehicle Solutions.”
Central Highlands Toyota sponsored this event after a string of unfortunate weather events rocked farmers in the Central Highlands.
“After the drought, the floods and the fires, as a rural community we just wanted to do our bit to help,” Ms Gibbs said.
“Because every family needs a farmer.”
Gibbs and Toyota are hopeful the community will turn out in force to donate and support the cause.
“We’re hoping to have the full 144 players on the course,” Ms Gibbs said.
There are also great prizes to be won with Central Highlands Toyota securing the main prize for the golf day for the winning team.
“Korte’s Resort in Rockhampton is giving
away two nights accommodation for all four team members (plus partners) as well as that, there will be a $120 voucher for the Oasis Restaurant at the Resort included,” Gibbs said.
“We also have a hole in one giveaway of a car on hole 17,” Gibbs concluded.
Team registration on the day is at 9am for a 9.30am start.
Gary Rohan and Tom Hawkins at the Powercor Country Festival Launch at the MCG on Monday.
Essendon and Geelong have partnered with one of the largest rural charities in Australia, Rural Aid, ahead of the fourth installation of the Powercor Country Festival blockbuster at the MCG this Sunday.
Founded by Charles and Tracy Alder in 2015, Rural Aid provides support to farmers and rural communities in times of natural disaster such as drought, flood and fire, as well as supporting the sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Donations from the game and the fundraising effort will go directly to the drought-stricken farming region of Gippsland in country Victoria.
Working with Rural Aid, plans have also been announced to host a Hay Mate Concert in Yarra Park in 2020, for the fifth anniversary of the Country Festival blockbuster.
Rural Aid Chief Executive Officer Charles Alder said: “We are delighted to be partnering with both the Essendon and Geelong Football clubs and congratulate both clubs on raising the profile of rural and regional communities.”
Essendon Chief Executive Officer Xavier Campbell said the Club was proud to be partnering with Rural Aid in line with the blockbuster Country Festival clash this week.
“This is an important partnership with one of the largest rural charities in Australia, and we’re proud of this natural alignment with Rural Aid throughout an important week for us in recognising the contribution of regional communities to our great state,” Campbell said.
“The fundraising is for the Victorian drought, particularly concentrating our efforts for farmers in Gippsland so we look forward to a big turnout at the MCG on Sunday for the Country Festival in support of Rural Aid.”
Geelong Chief Executive Officer Brian Cook said the Club was looking forward to a strong partnership with Rural Aid.
“We are proud to partner with Rural Aid, who work to achieve positive outcomes and assist communities in need,” Cook said.
“Community is important to our club, everything we do has a central purpose around building a better community and giving back to the community that supports us.
“We thank Rural Aid for their support and look forward to a successful partnership into the future.”
For more information on Rural Aid, please click here.
The article’s credit is for the source: Geelong Cats
A convoy of Rural Aid trucks pulled into the city yesterday to deliver much-needed hay to drought-stricken graziers.
The hay drop followed similar ones in Scotia and Tibooburra over the last several months, with a total of 1000 large bales of hay delivered.
A couple of Rural Aid trucks roll into Broken Hill with an Australia Post truck on the Adelaide Road yesterday morning. PICTURE: Callum Marshall
The money for the fodder came from Australia Post selling “Drought Relief Stamps” and more than $200,000 was raised.
Australia Post’s Executive General Manager of Community and Consumer, Nicole Sheffield, said many people around the country had wanted to help.
“Last year we listened to the community a lot and everybody was saying, ‘how do we help our farmers and make a difference?’” she said.
“Partnering with Rural Aid was something that came so naturally, not just to the community and Australia Post, but for everybody, so we launched the Drought Relief Stamp, which for every $5 (stamp pack) $2 went towards bays of hay.
“I know this hay is only a tiny relief, but if it gives our farmers some relief then we feel very privileged to have done that.
“We know that they’re doing it tough, so this hay drop is just one way that we’re trying to make it a little bit easier for them.”
Rural Aid General Manager, Wayne Thomson, said yesterday’s delivery helped show that people really do care about farmers in drought.
“It’s days like today that make it a little bit easier to get through,” he said.
“One of the messages that we want to get across from days like today is that people like Australia Post and all those involved care.
“They care about what happens to farmers and their lives and that’s so important.
“The hay is too, we need the animals to be fed, but it’s knowing that someone’s standing by you through this drought.
“We’ll continue to deliver hay until everybody in the region has got some.
“It’s about a million dollars’ worth so it’s a big investment, but we want to be able to make sure that the whole region is being supported.”
Mayor Darriea Turley thanked Rural Aid and Australia Post for the hay and said actions like this helped provide a little bit of hope.
“I talk to farmers every day and I’ve been out across the whole Far West, and they’re doing it tough,” said Mayor Turley.
“I don’t think anybody can understand until you talk to them and go out and help them feed.
“When you go out and do that, they talk to you about the day-to-day issues of how they’re going to keep the farm going which they inherited form their grandparents, or how they’re going to look after their kids and the expectations of that.
“But more importantly, you can see the mental health issues that they’re struggling with.
“Australia Post is delivering a little bit of hope for every farmer that gets a bale of hay and we’re very welcoming of that.”
ROCK ON: Rising Australian country star Casey Barnes took to the stage in Scone on Saturday night at a free concert for the community.
PICNIC rugs under the stars, food and live music made for a perfect night in Scone on Saturday.
Charity Rural Aid hosted a free Twilight Family Fun Night at Elizabeth Park giving the local community the chance to kick back and relax for an evening.
More than 13 market stalls took over the popular pit-stop on the New England Highway.
Rural Aid event coordinator Victoria Edwards said the night wasn’t a fundraiser but simply a way to bring extra funds into the rural community.
“It’s great for the local area,” she said.
Rising Australian country star Casey Barnes jammed out into the night, supported by up-and-coming artist Josiah Bekker, the Rebecca Johnson Trio and Brooke Supple.
There were also Rural Aid volunteers on hand to provide information about their Buy A Bale program and assistance available for farmers.
However, it won’t be the only event the charity holds in the Upper Hunter in the coming weeks.
From May 5 to 11, Rural Aid will bring over 70 ‘Farm Army’ volunteers from across Australia to Murrurundi as a part of their ‘Farm Rescue’ project.
The community is set to benefit from the teams working and financing projects around the town and on farm properties.
The ‘Farm Army’ will be camping at the Murrurundi Rosedale Complex and Rural Aid will contribute to the local charities and groups that will cater for the volunteers.
Ten members of the Australian Army Band Sydney will also be performing at many schools in the area.
Rural Aid will donate musical instruments, lego, and school supplies as part of their Gift of Music program to Blandford, Murrurundi, Quirindi, Willow Tree and Wallabadah schools.
There will be an opportunity for community members to hear the awesome Army Band rock the White Hart Hotel on Monday evening, May 6, and meet the ‘Farm Army’.
The week culminates with a ‘Thank You’ dinner on Friday May 10 at the Rosedale Horse Complex.
