Drought Angels’ Long Drive event smashes records, raising $130,381 for battling farmers in central western Queensland
Dozens of iconic Toyota 40 series rigs made their way across central western Queensland for the epic Long Drive fundraiser. Here’s the full wrap.
Central Queensland
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This year’s Drought Angels Long Drive fundraiser across central western Queensland has smashed records and left organisers in awe.
The annual Drought Angels fundraiser saw 50 Toyota 40 Series cars take part in the trek across the region to raise money and awareness for the life-changing organisation.
Over the course of eight days participants stopped at Duaringa, Clermont, Muttaburra, Winton, Boulia, Cloncurry, and Kynuna.
This year’s was the biggest in its three years, raising a record-breaking $130,381 toward helping Queensland farmers recover from natural disasters including drought, fire, flood, and plagues.
The result was so incredible it surprised even Drought Angels CEO Natasha Johnston.
“The fundraising goal keeps getting bigger each year for this event and each year it is blown out of the water,” she said.
“We feel even more blessed that this incredibly small but generous group of people put their hearts and souls into fundraising for our Aussie Farmers to support them through the challenges that Mother Nature keeps throwing at them.
“It’s a truly unique and powerful event run by people with big hearts.
Ms Johnston said Covid has decimated the charity’s donations, which were down about 70 per cent.
“We used to have about 1000 fundraisers a year being held for us Australia-wide. We are now down to about 35.
“That’s over $1 million dollars for us in external fundraisers.”
The event has now raised $265, 466 in the past three years, with more than half of that amount already allocated to rural battlers through prepaid Visa cards that can be used at local stores to buy feed for stock and pets, household products and food.
Event founder Brent Reeman said the event was only possible because of massive support.
“We couldn’t do it without the incredible and generous, everyday people that drive in the convoy,” he said.
“Some of them use their annual leave to join, to help us raise awareness and money for Drought Angels, and we also thank the communities and councils who host us along the way.
“We would like to thank our sponsors who are the ones that really rev up the fundraising with financial contributions or in-kind support.”
Mr Reeman said planning for next year’s event was already under way.
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