The Rotary Club of Cobar has been awarded a prestigious Rotary Award for their ongoing Drought Relief Project.
Cobar was awarded the Rotary District 9670 Preserve Planet Earth Award at the recent Rotary District Conference in Forster.
Rotary Club President Tony Punzet said they received the award as recognition for the club’s ongoing efforts to support district farmers during the drought.
Cobar Rotarians Gordon and Therese Hill attended the conference and collected the award on behalf of the Cobar Club.
Mr Hill, who is the club’s secretary, said the award was a complete surprise, but it helped to raise the awareness of the plight of farmers battling the drought in western NSW.
“The Rotary Club of Cobar has been very much involved with support for local farmers in the form of fodder, essential grocery packs, working dog food and bottled water since October 2018,” Mr Hill said.
“This support has seen 13 road trains consisting of a total of 1,050 large bales of donated fodder delivered to farmers around Cobar and out to Tilpa.
“In addition, some 220 essential grocery packs, four pallets of bottled water and four pallets of working dog food has also been distributed to needy farmers.”
Mr Hill said the local drought relief effort had received over $400,000 of donations from charities including Gulf Horizons Foundation and their partners Flash Market and Eye Candy Motor Sport as well as GIVIT.
“The Rotary Clubs of Eaglehawk and
Castlemaine in Victoria, Rotary Clubs of Randwick and Bondi Junction in Sydney as well as the Rotary RAWCS Program donations were also used to support local farmers,” he said.
Mr Hill said any local farmers needing help with groceries, dog food or bottled water can contact him or a member of the Rotary Club of Cobar.
