I WANT TO HELP OTHERS BEFORE I DIE
Terminally ill man’s unique donation to Salvos
HE MAY only have months left to live but Robert Thompson has shown he has a heart of gold by donating a new car to charity. It’s a first for the Salvation Army.
A TERMINALLY ill man has made a unique donation to the charity he knows is always there to help travellers in their time of need.
With not long left to live, he made the decision to donate a new Toyota Atara to the Salvation Army Toowoomba.
Robert Thompson, 85, is dying of mesothelioma, which he contacted after working in a Brisbane factory that produced asbestos.
As a young man he spent years travelling around Australia, and reckons he’s done the whole country “about three and a half times”.
He said the Salvation Army offered support to travellers like himself and didn’t think twice about donating the $36,600 car to the Salvos which helped him so much during his travels.
“All through travelling around Australia, the Salvos were always there with coffee,” he said.
He also knows they helped soldiers like his father during war.
“They were there for people in the trenches.
“They were there carting the wounded out and everything.
“I wanted to donate before I die.
“I want to give them a bit of a boost.”
Accepting the donation, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Hood said it was the first time the charity had received a new car.
“We’ve had lots of donations over our offices but we’ve never ever had one like this,” he said.
“The car is nearly new and is one of the better ones. It has the nice bells and whistles.”
It’s so unusual he’s written to the head office in Brisbane to find out what should be done with the car.
He said it was likely the charity would sell it to support services in Toowoomba or be retained by Salvo workers to assist the needy.
“It’s a beautiful gift and the Salvation Army is grateful.”
Lt Col Hood said Mr Thompson’s gift was all the more valuable given his personal circumstances.