Cottoning on to charity cash
HOW a season can change.
Things were not looking too positive across the valley when the Macquarie Cotton Growers Association (MCGA) committee got together in September 2019, according to vice chair Amanda Thomas.
“The idea of running our annual charity golf day seemed like it was not within the realms of possibility due the crippling relentless drought that most of NSW was experiencing,” Mrs Thomas told Dubbo Photo News.
“It was then that the committee decided that we probably needed to host this golf day now more than ever.”
Over the years the MCGA golf day has raised more than $75,000 that’s been split up between schools and community service groups in the Narromine, Trangie, and Warren townships.
She said the events have relied on the generosity of the cotton industry and local business houses to put on a great social day with amazing prizes.
“The committee contacted Trangie local Amanda Ferrari,who is a mover and shaker and pretty good at helping her community in times such as these,” Mrs Thomas said.
“Amanda works for the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) in the central west and after a meeting with the MCGA chairman Sinclair Steele they came up with the bones of an idea that could potentially help many of our struggling businesses in our little towns – the ‘Drought Buster Classic 2019”, at the Warren golf course was born.
There was financial support from RFCS And the Warren Agnvet branch to head out to the towns of Narromine, Trangie and Warren and spend over $1500 dollars in each town on some amazing prizes for the golfers and the proceeds were shared between the three golf clubs.
The National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG) had an “Our Shout” program running in the central west and the crew used those funds to put on lunch and soft drinks for the players during the day.
The day usually attracts over 100 players however the most recent event saw 140 players take the course for a shot gun start – it was one of the biggest days the Warren golf course has ever seen, raising around $5600 for the golf clubs with a further spend of $4500 in each of the towns.
Drinks and food were purchased at local IGAS in Warren and Trangie so in total it’s estimated $12 000 was invested into the cash-strapped communities.
“This story goes go to show that with government and local support and a good hard-working committee you can achieve some great results benefiting our little communities,” Mrs Thomas said.