Last Friday night, the Cootamundra Ex-Servicemen’s & Citizens Memorial Club donated over $11,000 to our local charities around Cootamundra.
Michael Willis, President of the Ex-Services Club, was on hand to present six cheques to Cootamundra Can Assist, Cootamundra RDA, Cootamundra Hospital Auxiliary, Cootamundra Meals on Wheels, Cootamundra Red Cross Foodbank and Cootamundra Nursing home.
Representatives from each of the six organisations attended the Ex-Services Club on Friday night, including Colleen Flynn from Can Assist, Helen Eccleston from Red Cross, Kerry Kostrubic and Tim Mahon from Meals on Wheels, Caroline Buchanan from the Cootamundra Nursing Home, Janice Slattery from the Hospital Auxiliary, and Trish Taylor from the Cootamundra RDA.
The Ex-Services Club also presented St Vincent de Paul a cheque for $500 towards a defibrillator for their local store.
Michael said the Club picked the recipient organisations by reviewing their needs and carefully chosen where the money will be given out to.
“We chose the organisations based on what we felt as a board met the needs of the community. We listened to each of the organisations and their requirements,” Willis said.
“The six organisations do a marvellous job for the town of Cootamundra and the hardship that everybody has been going through over the last couple of years.
I think it’s the least we could do.”
Cootamundra Ex-services Club does a great job at supporting locals, with the Club doing annual giveaways to local charities that are dispersed throughout the year.
“We chose these six organisations this time, but that’s not to say that we don’t think other organiations aren’t worthy of the donations, they’ll have their opportunity next time,” Willis continued.
“Helen Eccleston from the Cootamundra Red Cross Foodbank said they spend over $1000 a week on groceries, so our donation will help them going for a bit. “Each organisation that have received the donations have some sort of need or requirement to fulfil so we listened and came up with an appropriately sized donation for each. “We enjoy giving back to the community and helping the town out where we can.”
Tim Warren