SHEARERS are picking up their blades in a bid to raise awareness and cut the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.
This March, the Glencoe Woolshed National Trust will host the Blades of Glencoe Shearathon to raise funds for beyondblue – an organisation, which works to address issues associated with depression, suicide, anxiety and other related mental disorders.
Organised by the Blade Shearing Historic Foundation, the event will relive the glory days of old fashioned blade shearing with continuous demonstrations and a speed shear competition.
Planning is well under way for the shearathon, however spokesperson and boss blade shearer Richie Foster said the committee was still on the hunt for sheep to shear on the day.
“We are looking for cross-bred sheep, second shear year lamb would be most ideal,” he said.
“It is less wool and less quality wool.
“We are battling to handle the preparation of wool in that shed.
“Once we get the sheep we will be away and flying.
“Once we nail them, everything else will fall into place.”
Mr Foster said all expenses to transport the livestock to and from Glencoe would be covered.
“We need 1000 sheep,” he said.
“A couple of mobs of 500 or one mob of 1000 from the same place would be ideal.
“All expenses are covered – the sheep are shorn for nothing and we organise and pay for the transport to get the sheep to the woolshed.”
Around 60 female and male shearers from across Australia and as far as the United Kingdom and Germany will travel to the Wattle Range region to participate in the event.
As well as the shearathon, Blades of Glencoe will feature a number of stalls and entertainment including the Redgum and Lost Souls band, Tonez, Paul Lindholm, Willie Wilson, Pam Crocker and Dona McQueen.
The Nangwarry Football Netball Club has also expressed interest in catering for the event to raise funds after recently losing its clubrooms to a fire.
Mr Foster said the event inspiriation came over a year ago when he met with professional female shearer Janine Midgley, who organised the Ducks on the Pond fundraiser, which raised $30,000 for cancer research.
“I met Janine Midgley over 12 months ago with this event in mind,” he said.
“Now we have incorporated out little body – the Blade Shearing Historic Foundation – and there is about eight of us organising the event.
“We hope to attract a capacity crowd of 5000 people and maybe raise $50,000 for beyondblue.
“It is all about lifting the stigma of mental health and suicide – it is the only reason we are doing this.
“Shearers, including 25 shearing girls, are banding together from everywhere for the cause.
“It is a bit of a unique thing and the Glencoe Woolshed is the ideal shed to host the event.
“We are also trying to up the conditions in woolsheds for females.”
The event will be held on Sunday, March 10 from 8am-5pm.
Tickets are available online via the Blades of Glencoe Shearathon 2019 on Eventbrite and also on the day.
Anyone who can make a donation of sheep or who would like to volunteer on the day should contact Richie Foster on 0478 394 513.
