Firemen’s wives rally to Ronald cause
Quiz night raises $2437 for kids’ charity
It started with a House To House March fundraiser by Ronald McDonald House which caught the attention of Joanne Brown in Dannevirke. She contacted Facebook friends to help sponsor the challenge to travel 210 kilometres by any means. This happened to be the average distance a client travels from their home to their Ronald McDonald House ‘home’.
After a great response, four of Joanne’s friends — Kay Steed, Tracey Sinclair, Michelle Walker and Sandie King, all wives of firemen in the Dannevirke Volunteer Fire Brigade — decided to help her raise more money by running a quiz night for firemen, families and friends.
Eleven teams turned up to the Fountain Theatre for a hilarious night on March 26, each member paying $10 to enter and each team supplying a prize to be auctioned. No prizes were awarded to the quiz winners — no-one can remember who did!
On Wednesday, Penny McEwan, Regional Development Advisor for the Ronald McDonald House Charity, came to Dannevirke to receive the proceeds — $2437 and 80c.
She was thrilled, explaining that since they were an independent trust they received no government funding and relied entirely on generous New Zealanders to fund the $10 million needed to run it annually.
She said the trust provides accommodation for anyone under 18 and their families suffering from ailments which require hospital treatment. In addition to accommodation, it supplies meals and parking costs. It costs $171 per night to provide this care. The longest time anyone has used the service is 326 days.
The charity’s major fundraiser is the annual appeal in June — details will soon be on its national website, rmhc.org.nz.
For the Dannevirke Volunteer Fire Brigade it was a job well done. Already another fundraiser is being planned for next year.
It is 199 kms from Dannevirke to Ronald McDonald House in Wellington. Many local children have travelled that route over the years to stay in its facilities and will undoubtedly do so again.
It has the support of service clubs like Lions but needs the good work of groups like the fire brigade and individuals to still be there when we call.