Like gold to see her smile
“IT WAS so beautiful to see Susie smiling ... it’s like gold to us and we can’t thank everyone enough.”
The older brother of slain Toowoomba police officer Senior Constable Brett Forte said he was “brought to tears” seeing the smiles on his sister-in-law Susan Forte and her children’s faces during the weekend’s fundraisers.
Chris Forte described both the car ride organised by Darling Downs Harley-Davidson and the Darling Downs Harley Owners Group, and the car show organised by Toowoomba’s Ole Skool Krome as a “fitting tribute to Brett”.
“We just want to thank everyone – the car, motorbike and boating communities. They’ve just wrapped their arms around us.”
About 500 riders from around the region roared through the streets of Toowoomba, making their way down the range to Gatton, and then returned to the Toowoomba Showgrounds, waving to crowds who lined the streets to see them along the way.
Darling Downs HOG director Ken Manteit and assistant director, his wife Roxy, led the ride with pillion passengers Mrs Forte and Brett’s father Stuart.
Darling Downs Harley-Davidson owner Andrew “Gus” Huwes said more than $10,000 was raised by the motorcycle community for the Forte family.
Mr Manteit said it was a wonderful ride and that the group “really was like a family”.
Toowoomba’s Ole Skool Krome organiser Warren Bradford said the car show held at the Toowoomba Showgrounds was a huge success.
“We had more than 500 cars in the show and we gave out (Brett Forte) memorial stickers to every car that entered, which were made by the Smart Print Group,” he said.
Although not all funds had been counted yesterday, he said at least $8500 had been raised.
“I cannot get over the amount of money that was donated,” he said. “We had people just chucking $150 in notes in.”
People from across the region, including the Sunshine Coast and Dalby, attended.