Letter to the Editor | Rainbow Beach Drought Runners still need help

Letter to the Editor: Rainbow Beach businessman Tony Stewart has said the recent rainfall may have helped in some regional corners, but it has made it more difficult to continue to support the small pockets that have missed out

Gympie Drought Runners’ Tony Stewart says the scattered rainfall of late has helped some stricken areas but complicated the ability to help those that missed out.

Letter to the Editor

Rainbow Beach Drought Runners would just like to update the public and all of our great sponsors after the last five years, which will be six in September.
Firstly many areas of Queensland have enjoyed a bumper season and this is continuing with some good falls of rain over the last week.

May areas that we have been assisting now do not require further help from us.

We will of course be monitoring these areas.

We have been in regular contact with major charities like the Drought Angels so as we don’t overlap with assistance to the same area.

Queensland has many small pockets that have virtually missed all rainfall but these areas are very scattered, making delivery and distribution of food hampers hard. So in these cases we post visa cards which are easy to deliver.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been sending visas to the Drought Angels for distribution as they have many clients needing assistance on their books.

Tony Stewart.

These visa cards have been delivered into the New South Wales mouse plague regions as many properties have suffered huge losses from these vermin.

At present we are pallet wrapping hampers for families with each worth around $85 and the contain essential food items.

We will have around 35-40 of these for delivery to either the Emerald area or to the Drought Angels in Chinchilla for distribution.

We have been supporting a group called Fencing for Fires in north east Victoria since the disastrous bush fires of 18 months ago and have contributed nearly $20,000.

This group has reciprocated by organising around eight B-double loads of hay for us.

Due to costs of cartage we will probably pass this on to Burrumbuttock Hay Runners for distribution to the Ilfracombe area between July 8-19 (Covid permitting).

Mr Stewart says some areas are still hurt by the drought.

I must thank the many who have donated food parcels, mainly from Tin Can Bay and Cooloola and they are individually thanked in our local monthly magazines.

Also a lot of our funds are derived from collection tins in many shops around the district but most of all our bottle and can collection bins at the Big4 Carlo Point is a good raiser of funds.

Hard and dirty work but with Wayne Kerle’s great help and return it we are keeping funds in our account.

Finally this next load out in a fortnight will be our last for some time as I will hopefully be away for around three months helping with work down south.

I hope to be back in November to co-ordinate the annual Christmas run of hampers and presents for Kids in the Bush.

Some of this load is already organised, but a lot more funds will be needed to finish this delivery off.

We have drop points at Drakes in Gympie where food can be dropped and visa cards can be purchased.

Also outside Woolworths Cooloola at Rainbow Cooloola Real Estates door and IGA vouchers can be purchased at Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay.

Also donations to our A/C at the Bank of Queensland in Mary St, Gympie would be much appreciated. (BSB 124047, A/C 22599186, Rainbow Beach Drought Runners.)

Following the Christmas deliveries we will evaluate the continuation of this business that has contributed over $600,000 in help for welfare in the bush.

Thank you all.
Tony Stewart, Rainbow Beach

Originally published as Letter to the Editor | Rainbow Beach Drought Runners still need help