AN INFLUX of community donations will be used to provide the Mount Gambier district’s Country Fire Service (CFS) brigades with key tools used in emergency response situations.
The CFS Mount Gambier Group will spend more than $5000, comprised of community donations collected over the last 18 months, to purchase torches and electric drills for each brigade, as well as upgrade appliance lighting with LED technology.
Among the most recent donations presented to the district’s CFS was $1260 from the Easyriders Social Motorcycle Club’s Limestone Coast charity run, held March 20.
The event was more than a year in the making due to the COVID-19 pandemic, originally planned for early 2020 as part of an Australian-wide fundraiser supporting volunteer firefighters in the wake of the devastating 2019/20 summer bushfires.
With border restrictions between South Australia and Victoria easing, the Limestone Coast pushed ahead with planning for the event more than 12 months on, attracting 55 bikes and seven cars for the regional cruise.
Participants visited Tarpeena, Port MacDonnell and returned to Mount Gambier, where vehicles cruised down Commercial Street from White Avenue to Pick Avenue, finishing at the South Eastern Hotel.
“We were really happy with the turnout, it was fantastic,” Easyriders SMC South Australian president Mark O’Neill said.
“We had a social club visit from Victoria that stayed here just for the run.”
The $1260 was raised through entry fees and a raffle, with Mr O’Neill proud of the collection given the club only has 10 members locally.
“We just wanted to make sure the money we raised went locally,” Mr O’Neill said.
CFS Mount Gambier District operations captain Bob Davis said the funds would be used to purchase equipment not supplied by the volunteer organisation.
“The amount of funds organisations have donated to us over the last 12 to 18 months is greatly appreciated,” Mr Davis said.
