Orbost Primary School’s Junior School Council (JSC) has been raising funds from events they have held throughout the year, such as discos and out of uniform days, like the recent one held on Friday, August 31, with the students deciding they’d like the funds raised to go towards helping drought stricken farmers within the region.
The JSC raised a total of $600 and decided to split the funds equally between Gippsland Farmer Relief, which was received by local dairy farmer, Dennis Reynolds, and Orbost Regional Health (ORH), who in conjunction with local farmers, the Rotary Club of Orbost and other interested members of the community have created a campaign called ‘Stand by your Farmer’, which was received by ORH chief executive officer, Meryn Pease.
These two organisations were chosen as the recipients as the students were adamant that the money was to stay local and help members of the town. And they liked that the organisations were helping in different ways.
Stand by your Farmer is distributing Orbost and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry vouchers to help purchase goods, helping the businesses within town, while also helping provide services to ensure farmers’ mental health and wellbeing are in check, or giving families money that can be used to pay for children’s sporting registrations and the like.
Gippsland Farmer Relief donates hampers of non-perishable goods to farmers to the value of around $200 with the goods being purchased within the towns they are distributed in.
Last Friday, Ready, Set, Go Playgroup also raised funds through a collection tin with an additional $121.25 for Gippsland Farmer Relief.
Both Dennis and Meryn received large, novelty-sized cheques that the children had made.
PICTURED: Orbost Primary School Junior School Council students, Taylor Brunt and Milli Paton-Reeve, present Dennis Reynolds, of Gippsland Farmer Relief, and Orbost Regional Health chief executive officer, Meryn Pease, with cheques for $300 each to help them assist local farmers during the tough green drought.
