WOOLGROWERS from throughout central and western districts of the state gave generously to Quality Wool’s Ronald McDonald House Westsmead charity wool auction which recently raised $77,000 to assist seriously-ill children and their families.
To celebrate the magnificent generosity some 60 donors and family were on hand at the Parkes Services Club last Thursday night to toast the success of the fundraiser.
Among attendees were Ronald McDonald House Westmead executive officer Belinda Woolford and board member Ray Finn, who were presented with a cheque by Quality Wool representatives for the proceeds raised by the auction on March 15 after meeting a number of locals during the function who had utilised the services of Ronald McDonald House in the past.
“The funds are phenomenal and we are very grateful,” Ms Woolford said.
Quality’s NSW operations manager Chris Scott, Parkes, said the company was thrilled with the result and he wished to thank all growers who donated wool towards the auction from throughout the State’s Riverina and Central and Western regions.
“Our wool drive for Ronald McDonald House Westmead was again well supported and with the delayed auction timing this year, it was great to see a number of new growers donating wool,’’ Mr Scott said.
“We had donations come in from around our stores at Parkes, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Condobolin, as well as from near Oberon, up through Dubbo, Gilgandra and Coonamble, and down to Grenfell and Young.
“We could not do this without the ongoing and generous support of our growers.”
This auction is normally held in November, but was delayed until March this year to avoid harvest periods and summer holidays.
Buoyed by a flourishing wool market, the delay in the sale fixture this year played a key role in helping increase growers’ wool donations for the auction to some 14,000 kilograms (93 bales), resulting in a total of $77,000 which easily eclipsed last year’s figure of a little more than $55,000.
Quality Wool visited farms to pick up donated wool and cleaned out sheds for growers and it pressed and auctioned the wool free of charge.
Assisting in the process was the ongoing support of the Australian Wool Testing Authority who also tested the wool for free, ensuring all proceeds would go to Ronald McDonald House Westmead.
In the fifth year the charity wool auctions have raised more than $225,000 for the “home away from home” that supports families with seriously ill children attending The Children’s Hospital Westmead.