When local hairdresser Rhonda W celebrated fifteen years of operating her business in Beachmere she wanted to give back – in a big way.
“Instead of the usual glass of bubbly and some cheese and crackers with my clients, I wanted to involve them in something much bigger.”
“I did some research and found that Winton was a sister city of Moreton Shire. I contacted the Winton CWA and, with the help of their wonderful President Chris Batt, I organised that ‘something bigger’,“ Rhonda said.
“The drought caused such hardship, but what was worse was the devastating flood that killed thousands of head of livestock. Some farmers lost all their stock which will take years to recover. Now it’s off the television radar people forget or move on, but the people doing it tough are still living it.”
“I contacted other local Beachmere businesses and asked for their support, and we came up with a raffle to raise funds for the people of Winton.
“The premise was to send money to Winton to buy vouchers from local businesses to give to locals in need. That way the money circulates to support not only locals who receive the help, but also local workers, businesses who supply the goods and services, and ultimately Winton.
“I was blown away by the generosity of Beachmere businesses and Beachmere residents who purchased the raffle tickets and donated so willingly”.
“As a birthday … it’s been great,” Rhonda said.