The Lachlan Endurance Riders Club has donated $4000 to drought relief efforts in NSW, following through on a commitment made earlier in the year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The club decided to contribute to attempts to alleviate the drought's effects earlier in the year, and after careful consideration, decided to do so through Lions International, who have more than 600 volunteers donating thousands of hours of their time servicing Central NSW.
There are several steps in the Lions International aid process, which made it clear that it was the right organisation for us to direct our energy towards assisting.
First and foremost, it is co-ordinated through the Geurie Lions Club, and with assistance from Wellington Lions, all money donated is used to purchase hay direct from farmers, as well as stock lick blocks, while delivering both items to communities in need.
They also handle donations of food, clothing and the like, which are handed out as hampers along with the deliveries of hay and blocks. Each selected recipient receives eight large bales of hay (approximately four tonne).
As a result of these efforts, Geurie Lions have reached the landmark figure of purchasing and delivering 10,000 bales since July of last year.
The farmers who receive the hay are scrutinised upon their application for assistance. When the hay reaches its destination, local council helps handle the delivery, ensuring that the farmer signs for it to confirm receipt.
At the centre of co-ordinating this is Anne Jones, a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal for decades of volunteering and service to the community of Wellington.
Tirelessly assisted by her husband, they are the owners of "Old Station", which is based in a town called Gollan. It is around a 60 kilometre drive east of Dubbo, while also being about around 75 kilometres north west of Mudgee.
Lachlan Endurance posted their cheque for the first $2000 in March following the club's successful Endurance Ride at Bumbaldry.
Earlier this week, a cheque for a further $2000 was made possible by the success of the club's popular annual Woodstock Ride, which was held earlier in mid-September, with a strong turn out from the public.
76 entrants took part in the 83 kilometre edition of the ride, while an additional 58 entrants took part in the shorter 42 kilometre event.
Tina Walker, the president of the Lachlan Endurance Riders Club, was on hand on Wednesday morning to present the second cheque to David Thomas of the Cowra Lions, who was representing the Lions' National Drought Appeal.
READ ALSO:
