With three antique cars as a backdrop at Albert Park on Tuesday the Organiser of the Cootamundra Swap Meet, Lyn Gavin (right) and the President of the Cootamundra Antique Motor Club, Mal Chaplin (left) presented cheques to (from left) Phil Chadwick of Can Assist, Ken You of Legacy, Joan Collins of the Cootamundra Hospital Auxiliary, Helen Eccleseton of the Food Bank and Kate Lonergan of the Commuity Kitchen.
The Cootamundra Antique Motor Club (CAMC) is donating $3,500 to local charities from the proceeds of this year’s successful Cootamundra Swap Meet held at the Showground in September.
On a cold and windy morning at Albert Park on Tuesday, Swap Meet Organiser Lyn Gavin presented cheques for $500 each to five Cootamundra charities, with two further cheques to be presented to Harden charities in the near future.
The Swap Meet is the CAMC’s annual fundraising activity to help the Club cover its running costs, including publication of its newsletter, Coota Hoota.
Due to Covid the last Swap Meet was held in 2019, so the Club has had to cover its costs for 2020 and 2021, but as it has traditionally done, money raised in excess of running costs is donated to charities.
Can Assist helps people receiving treatment for cancer to deal with the many associated costs of travel and accommodation, easing money worries and assisting recovery, while Legacy helps widows of veterans, veterans who come home wounded and with stress disorders, and families of veterans with education and other costs.
Joan Collins of the Hospital Auxiliary said the Auxiliary was involved in a number of projects at the moment, including purchasing another “vein finder” which helps nurses find veins in patients more accurately and comfortably.
Helen Eccleston of the Food Bank said the cheque would enable the purchase of another pallet of food items to help people struggling to put food on the table, which is becoming a greater problem week by week.
Kate Lonergan said the CAMC’s donation would help the Community Kitchen provide dinner and company to people who are less well off every Wednesday at 5.30 pm at the Cootamundra Ministry Hub at 90 Thompson Street.
After a two year absence, the Swap Meet came back strongly in September with one of its largest-ever attendances of 2,500 people coming through the gate.
