BlazeAid gets $250,000 donation for biggest rebuild

BlazeAid founders Kevin and Rhonda Butler have changed the lives of more than 8,600 farmers and to help them deal with their biggest repair mission yet, News Corp is donating $250,000.

KEVIN and Rhonda Butler never expected to be at the forefront of Australia’s biggest natural disasters.

But after experiencing the horrific Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, the sheep farmers have dedicated their lives to helping others too rise from the ashes, quickly becoming heroes of the bush.

The Kilmore couple founded disaster-aid charity BlazeAid, which has helped more than 8,600 farmers rebuild their fences, and is currently in the middle of the biggest repair mission it’s ever faced, following recent bushfires that tore across southeast Australia.

BlazeAid founders Kevin and Rhonda Butler. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

To help BlazeAid, News Corp Australia, publisher of The Weekly Times, is donating $250,000 to arm an additional 100 volunteers with the equipment they need.

Mr Butler said for many in the bush a fence to keep in livestock – a farmers’ livelihood – was what they needed most, “bringing grown men to tears” and “saving countless lives”.

“There’s cattle roaming around everywhere,” he said. “Farmers are losing their income … you can’t feed your family if you can’t get an income.”

BLAZEAID STEPS UP FOR BIGGEST REPAIR MISSION

The Butlers are currently coordinating more than 1200 volunteers stretching from South Australia’s Kangaroo Island to the Queensland border, and while they’re sent out to build fences, their willingness to help knows no bounds – even cooking, delivering donated food and hygiene items to farmers.

News Corp Australia community ambassador Penny Fowler said the Butlers’ dedication was inspiring and the donation to BlazeAid would get help to those who needed it immediately.

“BlazeAid has committed to purchasing 10 fully-equipped trailers with our donation, which will help deliver essential resources to rebuild fences for farmers,” she said.

Long-time volunteer Andrew Gibson said seeing the difference BlazeAid made to struggling farmers’ lives was just as rewarding for its volunteers.

“I’d commend BlazeAid to anybody that has a bit of spare time. You don’t need any special skills, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and help out,” he said.