Sydney schoolboy hits $20,000 target to help farmers in 48 hours

THERE’S plenty of ways we could make a difference to help in biggest crisis facing Australia but a 10-year-old kid has come up with a good one.

THIS 10-year-old is proof you can make a difference.

Jack Berne set a goal of raising $20,000 to help farmers struggling through Australia’s worst drought crisis in centuries.

He wanted to get there by August 13 but he hit his target in an impressive 48 hours.

The Sydney schoolboy and his classmates at St John the Baptist Primary School at Freshwater had been hearing about the drought hardship devastating farmers across the country and Jack decided we had to do more to help.

It started as a simple idea to get schoolmates together on August 13 and dress up as farmers, bringing a “fiver for a farmer”.

“If we can raise some money, I think we can all feel better about helping our mates on the farms,” Jack said on the Fiver for a Farmer website his family created.

Now the campaign has gone national, with schools across the country ringing up to get on board for the dress like a farmer day.

The long dry spell is hurting farmers with 99 per cent of NSW officially in drought.

Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries estimates, 57 per cent of that state is in drought.

Australia’s drought crisis: This is how you can help

Jack Berne started the fiver for a farmer campaign

Jack and his schoolmates who will all dress up as farmers on August 13.

Jack said the sky was the limit now and they would bump the fundraising goal to $50,000.

“I felt so strongly about this because I felt so many people were doing things and we could do so much more for it,” he said.

“I’m ecstatic, I can’t believe it’s happening.

“It’s such an amazing cause. I was literally sitting in the car thinking no one would be up late donating and I go back to look and it was $9035.”

Teacher Sharma Taranto said the campaign started as a discussion about the drought and the hardships on farmers at the moment.

“The children took it board and just ran with it,” she said.

Jack’s mum Prue said she had been in tears since the fundraising started.

“He’s so small and young and you’re yelling at them to put their shoes on and now he’s launched what’s essentially growing to be a national campaign,” she said.

“If this group of kids can get together and get this going and raise $20,000 in 48 hours it’s really easy to do. It’s not bad for a 10-year-old.”

The Fiver for a Farmer funds will go towards the Rural Aid and Drought Angels charities.

Others like Buy a Bale have revealed a trailer of hay alone costs about $2500 and with transport costs getting up to $5000 to get a supply to a property, getting feed for animals is a costly exercise.

• To get involved visit A Fiver For A Farmer.

Originally published as Sydney schoolboy hits $20,000 target to help farmers in 48 hours