extensions at the Macquarie Home Stay facility in Dubbo.
Local businessman, grazier and Councillor Chris ‘Dido’ Deighton is helping to coordinate a livestock fundraiser to aid Macquarie Home Stay in Dubbo.
Dido decided to join a footy mate in Baradine, Adrian Worrell, whose family had the aim of raising $30,000 to help fund the Home Stay’s new extension.
While Adrian organised a few farmers in his area to donate “a beast or two” to help them reach their target, Dido has decided to “ride on the sheep’s back”.
“I have changed my quest up as we can’t so much do the cow side of things out here but we could have a go with sheep because they are more available,” he said.
Dido is hoping he’ll be able to fill his truck with donated sheep and take it to a sheep sale in Dubbo next week.
“Truck-wise I can take 140-150 head.
“If I get more, I can take the trailer as well.
“But if we get substantially more, I’ll make other arrangements,” he said.
Speaking to The Cobar Weekly last week, Dido said he already has more than 110 head promised from local landholders.
“Let’s say we truck 150, depending what people are donating, but if we get 150 sheep, we should be walking away with $15,000, quite easily,” Dido estimated.
Dido said he hasn’t had cause to use the Macquarie Home Stay facility in Dubbo that provides affordable, low-cost accommodation for patients and their partner/carer/family who need to travel to Dubbo for medical treatment, but he knew of locals who had used it.
Rod Crowfoot, the managing director Macquarie Home Stay, said it was great to have the Worrell family (who have cause to use the facility) and Dido come on board to help fundraise for the new extensions.
“Both the Worrell family and us at Macquarie Home Stay have been amazed with the generosity that people have shown during this appeal,” Rod said.
“At some point in time, a donor in this appeal, someone from their family, a neighbour or colleague will come to Dubbo for some type of medical care.
“Having a baby, surgery, tests and scans, cancer treatment, accident and emergency, rehabilitation—there’s just so many reasons why people have to leave their home town for their medical needs.
“What resonates is that these donations stay locally for locals to use, often in times of uncertainty and worry.
“What has been highlighted from this appeal is that it has enabled the communities that use us to support the appeal at a level they can afford, or in a way that’s relevant to them.”
Rod said whether it’s the donation of one or a few animals, they all add up and are helping to build their new CWA of NSW Guesthouse.
“This new building of 26 units is a fantastic, much needed addition to our current 23 units and we will be able to support even more patients with appropriate accommodation.
“Some will be for just a day, while others are for many weeks on end.
“These donations are paying for the bricks and mortar of this new guesthouse.
“It will be here for many decades, and what a great thing it is knowing that the impact of these donations will last for so long,” Rod said.
