A record donation of $48,000 to those who rescue us in our greatest time of need was made possible thanks to the nimble hands and big hearts of ESA Alpha Rho. The club which is like the lady’s version of Lions volunteered before Christmas to gift wrap presents for a gold coin donation.

ESA Queensland President Faye Dennien said more people had become aware of the gift wrapping service, which last year was in its 19th year, with corporations and groups taking advantage of the time-saving initiative.

“We have families who will drop a trolley load of presents off for us to wrap while they keep the kids entertained in a different part of the shopping centre,” Faye said.

“I believe the largest amount of gifts to wrap in one go was around 130, dropped off by the organisers of the Carmila Christmas Tree, who host the community and provide presents for the children.”

ESA Alpha Rho Mackay Founding Member Judy Johnson said that while the donations to charity were impressive, they wouldn’t be possible without a network of organisations and committed volunteers all lending their hands.

“I want to say a big thank you to all the volunteers, without them, this would not be achieved,” Judy said.

“We have many organisations to thank who donate their time to wrapping; the Neighbourhood Hub, RACQ CQ Rescue, members from the St Patrick's Mercy College, the Red Cross, Councillor Justin Englert, and the Kidney Foundation, to name a few,” she said.

The service was so overwhelmingly popular that at times the ladies struggled to keep up with demand, and went through more than 12km of wrapping paper in the process.

$42,000 of the funds raised were donated to RACQ CQ Rescue and the remaining $6,000 was given to Queensland Remote Area Tracking, a specialised emergency service based in Mackay.

RACQ CQ Rescue CEO Tim Healee said ESA’s dedication to fundraising is truly inspiring.

“It shows that an amount as small as a gold coin from someone in the community can soon grow into a figure like $42,000 with the collective efforts of organisations like ESA Alpha Rho. When you take 10 of these inspirational community groups it becomes half a million dollars, which is what keeps community-funded rescue services like RACQ CQ Rescue in the air.

“We’re probably the most supported community helicopter service in Australia, the passion behind our service in the region is humbling. I think it’s because almost everyone knows at least one person who has been rescued by RACQ CQ Rescue,” Mr Healee said.

“The demand is growing and our costs are significantly higher than they were two years ago, we estimate over the next two years we will need an additional two million dollars to keep the service in the air.”

Mr Healee thanked both Caneland Central and ESA Alpha Rho Mackay for their ongoing generosity and the countless hours volunteers spent manning the stall to benefit such crucial local charities.

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L-R: ESA Alpha Rho Mackay Founding Member Judy Johnson, ESA Alpha Rho Mackay President Annette Wisnewski, Queensland Remote Area Tracking member Matthew Munchow. Photo credit: Amanda Wright

L-R: Judy Johnson, Center Manager Caneland Central Mark, Annette Wisnewski, RACQ CQ Rescue CEO Tim Healee

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Council's landmark Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike trails project is clicking up a gear.

Last week’s ordinary meeting of council approved a development application for stage one of the mountain bike park.

The material change of use application was lodged by council via Veris Pty Ltd. It includes 13km of trails and a purpose-built trailhead, with direct road frontage to Anzac Parade.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the planning approval, subject to conditions, was an important milestone for the signature project.

“Council had the vision to create a world-class mountain bike park and trails between Eungella and Finch Hatton some years ago,’’ he said.

“Since then, we’ve been working hard on planning with all stakeholders, including the community, State Government agencies and traditional owners.

“This approval clears the way for the start of construction.

“We envisage stage one will be open by Christmas this year.”

Mayor Williamson said the trailhead at Finch Hatton would include an amenities block, picnic area with shelters, maintenance shed, pump track, bike wash and car parking.

“There will also be entry statements, landscaping, recreational open space and pedestrian connections to Bagley Street and the town centre. We’ve also refurbished the former Cattle Creek mill administration building and retained it for community use.”

Mayor Williamson said the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike trails would be a lucrative national and international tourism drawcard.

“It is exciting that we’re about to embark on the construction of stage one of this project, which will have huge economic benefits for the region and the Pioneer Valley, in particular Finch Hatton and Eungella.”

To stay up to date on this project, visit connectingmackay.com.au and subscribe to project update emails.

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Artist impression of the Finch Hatton trailhead

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Experienced St Patrick’s College teachers Angela Beardmore and Dorota Cook were two of several local educators recognised by Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton in the Mackay region at the recent Opening Year Schools Mass held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church North Mackay.

Both Angela and Dorota received special plaques on the day for over 20 Years of distinguished service to Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton.

Angela taught at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, North Mackay in 2001 and 2002 before serving 15 years at Emmanuel Catholic Primary School, Mount Pleasant from 2003 to 2017 where she assisted immensely with Eisteddfod and sporting events.

Since joining the staff at St Patrick’s College Mercy campus in 2018, Angela has proven a fine acquisition in the classroom and a successful Cricket Coordinator along with fellow teachers Adam Knezevic and Chris Dunn with the school Boys & Girls Cricket Excellence Program.

In recent years Angela has helped guide the Girls Cricket team to Queensland and North Queensland State Secondary Schools Twenty20 Challenge titles and is a great stalwart of the Brothers Mackay Cricket Club. She has also assisted with Mercy netball and rugby league teams during that time.

Dorota spent nearly a decade teaching in the Northern Territory which included three years at Alice Springs High School and six years at the Senior College, Centralian before moving to Mackay.

She taught Senior Maths and Physics and Year 10 Science for six years at Holy Spirit College and has spent the past 15 years at St Patrick’s College where she has served as the Head of the senior school Science Department since 2016. A tireless staff member, Dorota continues to teach Senior Maths and Physics at the college and is the Physics Panel Chair for the Mackay region.

She has spent 18 years on the Physics Panel and the past three years as the Lead Confirmer Physics for the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA).

We congratulate both Anglea and Dorota on their many years’ service.

By Chris Karas

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St Patrick’s College Mackay teachers Angela Beardmore (left) and Dorota Cook display their Catholic Education 20 Year Service Recognition plaques

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Mackay detectives are investigating an alleged arm robbery of a 29-year-old woman in East Mackay yesterday, Tuesday, February 14.

Around 3:30pm, the 29-year-old attended an appointment at Victoria Park State School, parking her car in the vicinity of 14 Goldsmith Street.

“A female adult victim was parking her car in the street and was approached by a male person,” said Mackay Detective Inspector Emma Novosel.

“He approached her and opened the driver’s door and demanded that she exit the vehicle.

“The female victim resisted slightly, at which time the male person presented a knife.

“She exited her vehicle and the male person got in the car and drove away.

“Fortunately, the victim wasn’t injured during this incident and a number of bystanders quickly came to her aid.”

The man fled the scene in the woman’s 2019 blue Ford Endura station wagon bearing Queensland registration 38 KLA.

Investigations uncovered that the man stopped at a service station in Farleigh around 5:00pm that afternoon where he purchased items using the victim’s bank cards.

Police have released vision of the man, who is described as Caucasian in appearance, aged in his mid to late 30s and with tattoos on both arms and one shin.

Police are urging the man depicted, or anyone with information in relation to his identity and whereabouts, to contact them.

Anyone who might have witnessed this incident, or who may have relevant dashcam footage, or has seen the car, is also urged to come forward.

“We're talking about the area on Goldsmith Street, near the intersection of Shakespeare Street, yesterday afternoon between 3 and 3:30pm,” Detective Inspector Novosel said.

It is reported that a man of the same description had recently attempted to gain access to another vehicle at a nearby address and, when confronted, claimed he was mistaken and fled the scene.

Investigations are continuing.

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Police have released vision of a man who may be able to assist with the ongoing investigation into the alleged armed robbery in East Mackay. Photo supplied

Mackay Detective Inspector Emma Novosel urged witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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The alleged murderer of three family members in a shooting in Bogie last August appeared by video link at Bowen Magistrates Court on Tuesday this week.

Darryl Valroy Young, 59, has been charged with the murders of his neighbours Mervyn and Maree Schwarz, 71 and 59 respectively, and Mrs Schwarz's 35-year-old son, Grahame Tighe.

He is also charged with the attempted murder of Mrs Schwarz's youngest son, 30-year-old Ross Tighe, who was shot in the incident but able to flee the scene and alert authorities.

It is believed that Mr Young invited his neighbours to meet with him to discuss boundary dispute issues when the incident took place.

Mr Young has now also been charged with three additional offences, including possessing an unregistered Breda shotgun, possessing a replica weapon and possessing a Winchester rifle.

During the hearing the police prosecutor asked for an extension to deliver the brief of evidence and the matter was adjourned until February 21.

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Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network (WSPN) are thrilled to announce a new manager, Adriel Burley, who is now employed locally and ready to actively help people through challenging times that could lead to mental health struggles.

He will work with the broader WSPN committee to create awareness of the free services available and further generate the conversation on how we can all use our own sphere of influence to protect people and prevent suicide.

Preventing Suicide Within Our Community

“We all have a sphere of influence in the community that we are part of,” said Adriel Burley.

“It could be your football club, it could be your business or teenagers of a similar age, it could be part of the farming community – connecting with us and learning what we do provides us with a sphere of influence into those communities and we need that.”

Suicide is a difficult subject to approach with someone who you may be concerned about, in fact many people are worried about saying the wrong thing and making the situation worse.

WSPN have a host of tools to help you and also offer regular free training workshops to teach residents how to best respond to concerns.

With Adriel at the helm, there will now be countless other ways that help is available in the community.

Some of his top priorities include ensuring local youth have access to the right help and trying to promote early intervention.

“There is often a perception that suicide prevention is about acute and crisis,” he said.

“But there is so much we can do in the preventative space – in the Whitsundays we have all these diverse industries here with varying pressures so we need to be pre-emptive here.

“Whether it be natural disasters, economic change or homelessness – there are all sorts of societal pressures on why people come into crisis and we can help the community prepare for that so it actually supports itself.”

WSPN Patron and Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP said Adriel represents an invaluable support mechanism.

“I think he is going to be a very valuable resource for the community to connect and tap in with,” she said.

“It will also help the network to focus on the direction and its strategies - to have someone who is dedicated to the community, to establish its presence more and to have a point of contact will be invaluable.”

Volunteer Matt Stokes said that securing Adriel as a Manager means that the committee, which is largely made up of local business owners, have a man on the ground to help.

“We were a bunch of exhausted business owners who didn’t have much time but now Adriel’s enthusiasm is lifting the committee and with his help we can do so much more,” said Matt.

“I’m time poor but I give as much as I can, and I would encourage others to come onto the committee and help where they can too.”

WSPN provide a range of local services which include free counselling for families affected by suicide, free weekly breathing classes in Bowen and Airlie Beach, and direct links to other services that can help with mental health.

“We are a safety net for the community,” said Adriel.

If this article has raised any issues for you call Lifeline on 131114

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Caption: WSPN Manager Adriel Burley, WSPN Patron and Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP, WSPN volunteer Matt Stokes, WSPN Treasurer Paul Burke and WSPN volunteer Di Fleetwood. Photo credit: Norina Jane

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The fuel we put into our bodies is important, especially in the bodies of our children as they grow and develop.

The energy from a well-balanced and nutritional diet powers them, helps sustain them throughout a busy school day and gives them brain power to learn new things.

One local dad understands this implicitly and he uses his knowledge of health and fitness to create an initiative called The Healthy Kids Project.

“One of the ways we help improve the health of our kids is through nutrition,” said father of three Tim Oberg.

“And the food we consume at school, for some families, is potentially the best food they consume all day.”

With this in mind, Tim decided to help guide the school Tuck Shop into a higher health accreditation by illuminating junk food and replacing it with healthy options.

He has also introduced Fresh Fruit Friday by working with Woolworths in Cannonvale, who supply free fruit to the local school children every week on a Friday.

Last week was the first time they trialled the initiative and Tim said he was astounded by the result.

“Woolworths kindly supplied 100 pieces of fruit last Friday and it went in literally five minutes!” he said.

“They’ve offered to supply more next week just to keep up with demand!”

Fresh Fruit Friday is currently gaining momentum at Cannonvale State School and Tim says he hopes it will expand to other schools across the region, the state and even on a national level.

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Caption: The box of fresh fruit that was distributed for free at Cannonvale State School on Friday. Photo supplied

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Hi Everyone,

Health is the greatest, most priceless gift of all.

When we have good health, whether that be mental or physical, we are incredibly blessed.

This week on the front page we welcome Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network’s new manager who will oversee all local operations.

Adriel Burley is dedicated to helping our region’s youth and is passionate about creating a supportive community that knows how to help others, so that suicidal thoughts can be prevented before they even form.

Mental health is not necessarily visible and that’s what makes it so hard to see – it is not a broken arm or snotty nose – it is often hidden deep and can be found in the most unlikely of usually smiling faces.

By checking in with each other, asking R U Ok?, we can all do our part to put an end to people thinking there is no other option but suicide.

Continuing with the health theme, I found out this week that my dad has bowel cancer.

He is 71 years old and fortunately, it was discovered early on, and it is operable.

As many of you will know, I was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer almost four years ago, and after six months of chemotherapy, I was lucky to survive.

It is well-known now that a prevalence of cancer runs in the family, so if you have a family history of cancer make sure you stay vigilant.

Watch out for symptoms such as extreme exhaustion, nausea, indigestion and an ongoing niggling ache or concern.

While most symptoms are usually of no concern, I believe it is our own responsibility to be our own internal doctor and complete regular check-ups.

When was the last time you had a breast scan or a pap-smear test? If you are over 50 or concerned about your bowel movements – have you ordered a bowel screening test?

A bit of discomfort now can avoid a lot of discomforts later, trust me, I know.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “The first wealth is health” (Emerson)

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The Bowen community is morning the loss of a young man who died tragically in a road accident on the Bruce Highway north of Bloomsbury last week.

At approximately 6pm on Wednesday, February 1, it is alleged that a stolen blue SUV veered onto the other side of the road and collided with a B-double truck.

The highway was closed into the evening and while the 31-year-old driver of the truck survived, the 20-year-old driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene.

It was later discovered that the SUV had been reported stolen from a Mount Pleasant home earlier that week at a property where a burglary had also taken place.

Despite the nature of the events that led to the death of the young man, police are reminding the public that his parents have lost a son, the family have lost a relative and friends have lost a good mate.

They are also reminding the community how one bad decision can put into motion a catalyst of events that can result in death.

“The only saving grace is that nobody else was injured in the particular incident however that is of very little comfort to the family and their loved ones who have lost a 20-year-old child,” said Detective Acting Inspector Chris Eaton.

Tiege Close will be remembered by those close to him for his kind heart and loving nature.

One of his best friends, Naitayah Preston, said he was caring, funny and always put everyone before himself.

“He was there for so many people and he made a big impact on everyone’s life,” she said.

“He was the light to most people’s lives, he always made sure no one did anything alone and made sure everyone had everything they needed.

“He adored his niece as much as his own - always wanting to talk to her and see what she was doing - he was an angel on and off this world too good to be on this earth.

“He was my best friend we would spend just about every day with each other - I will cherish every memory with him - we never had a dull moment wherever we ended up and I will cherish every moment I got to have with him.”

Police are also urging anyone to intervene if they hear of a family member or close friend intending to steal a car as their intervention could help save a life.

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Caption: Tiege Close in happier times. Photo supplied.

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Wet weather has plagued the Whitsundays all week and with a tropical low forming on the monsoon trough near the Solomon Islands, many residents are bracing themselves for the possibility of another cyclone.

With Cyclone Debbie entrenched in the local narrative and mass media sensationalising moderate weather reports, Whitsunday Life Newspaper decided to find out how this weather system will affect our region by talking to a local expert.

Liam Leonard from L&K Mackay Severe Weather has been following the weather as a hobby for 10 years and his Facebook Page has an impressive 24K followers who all listen to his predictions.

“I'm pretty damn good at what I do weatherwise,” he said.

“My forecasting is pretty damn accurate, especially when it comes down to cyclones and severe weather.

When discussing this week’s severe weather, Liam said that on Wednesday the system was just travelling and strengthening.

“It looks like we will have a tropical cyclone,” he explained.

“But no model suggests that it will impact Australia whatsoever.”

Liam predicts it will remain 400 kilometres off the South East coast of Australia and will continue to travel in a South East direction.

“We will get a few scud showers – fast moving, small, intense bursts of showers and some strong winds but it will be close to all over by Friday,” he predicts.

“Every year when we have a severe weather event the media always predict the worst-case scenario and put fear into people so they run out and buy all the bread and milk!

“I always give people the straight up version of what is likely to happen, without all the BS!

“I’ve lived here most of my life so I know the geographical lay of the land and can predict what is likely going to happen in our local area.”

For real time updates head to L&K Mackay Severe Weather and ‘like’ Liam’s page.

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Swimmers are warned to wear stinger suits when venturing out into the ocean at this time of the year following a suspected stinger incident last week.  

On Sunday morning Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) attended to a woman in her 20s who had received a suspected marine sting.

It was 11.26 am when paramedics arrived at the scene on Resort Drive, Hamilton Island and the woman was reported to be in a stable condition when she reached the island’s medical centre.

If you encounter anyone with a suspected marine sting, call 000 immediately and then douse the site of the sting with vinegar for at least 30 seconds.

If vinegar is not available, use salt water.

Also, try to carefully remove any tentacles.

Symptoms of an Irukandji sting may not be immediate and can appear five to 45 minutes later.

They include severe backache or headache, shooting pains in muscles, chest and abdomen, nausea, anxiety, restlessness, vomiting and breathing difficulties. Irukandji stings can cause heart damage and failure.

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Caption: There have been 13 confirmed Irukandji stings in the Whitsundays so far this season

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A missing dog has returned home to his family safely after 16 days lost in bushland near a walking track on Brandy Creek Road.

It was over two weeks ago when Linda Peacock had been walking seven-year-old ‘Bear’, a Shar-Pei cross, and her other dog ‘Banjo’, a Border Collie pup, when a wild pig jumped out of the bush.

The two dogs immediately raced after the pig and within seconds they disappeared into the thick undergrowth.

The recent rains meant the sounds of flowing water were loud and Linda struggled to shout their names loudly enough to be heard.

Despite this, she stayed all day and into the evening, hoping to find the dogs.

Reluctantly returning home when it was dark, Linda put a notice up on popular Facebook site, Whitsundays Chat, and waited hoping that someone would find them.

Miraculously, Banjo was returned home after 32 hours but, despite possible sightings of Bear, he remained elusive.

“It was beautiful hearing of sightings because it kept the hope there,” said Linda.

“We knew he wasn’t dead because we just felt that he was alive, but it was difficult when it past the two-week mark because we’d heard that’s how long most dogs can survive.”

On the 16th day, Linda felt despair creep in and called out to the universe and pleaded for his return.

Five minutes later she received a call from three backpackers who had found Bear.

“It was amazing timing,” said Linda.

“The backpackers nearly didn’t see him as he was hiding and camouflaged under a tree, but another walker had informed them that they had seen a dog so fortunately, the boys knew to keep a look out.”

Shortly afterwards Bear was reunited with Linda, his little face lighting up the second he saw her.  

“He was so happy to see us,” said Linda.

“But he’d lost over five kilos – when we took him to the vet it was like he’d gone on the Biggest Loser and it was Reveal Day!”

The two dogs are now reunited with Linda’s third dog and the family is very happy to be back together.

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Caption:

1: Bear was found by three backpackers after spending 16 days alone in the bush

2: Happy to be reunited with his family and on the way home. Photos supplied

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Major Bruce Highway upgrades abandoned in February have finally recommenced this week with the new contractors for the work getting stuck in after a twelve-month delay on the project.

The $68.85 million worth of contract works across three sites between Ayr and Proserpine are finally moving ahead this week as the Queensland Government replaced previous contractor South African company WBHO Infrastructure -- which entered voluntary administration in early 2022 and downed tools on sites across Australia.

Work on the Bruce Highway is still a long way away, with the Queensland Government hoping it will be completed in 2023 barring any further delay.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox was glad that travellers on the Bruce are “finally seeing roadwork crews getting ready to recommence works on the road” yet questioned Labour’s commitment to the network considering the extended timeframe.

“These roadworks have sat dormant for 12 months, causing headaches and expense for locals and visitors to the Dawson region,” Mr Willcox said.

“Our people have had enough. We have been dealing with dangerous road conditions, lowered speed limits and extra fuel costs travelling through these dormant road works for what feels like forever.

“Timeframe blowouts, budget blowouts and now tire blowouts are firmly getting on our nerves. All this, and Labor thinks our roads are holding up well. Queensland Labor need to prioritise safety and connectivity of the Bruce in Dawson.

“This is my constituents hard earned tax dollars just sitting dormant while we urgently need our Bruce upgraded.”

The Member for Dawson said the recent flooding event in the region highlighted the urgent need for these upgrades.

“I will not stop urging the Queensland Government to prioritise road safety for the people of Dawson, either get the job done or get out of our road,” he said.

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Caption: Roadwork is finally recommencing on the Bruce Highway after twelve-months

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The RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopter had a busy few days over the weekend with a series of rescues that spanned the far reaches of the Whitsundays, from a remote homestead at Mt Coolon to a boat in distress near Hayman Island.

Firstly, RACQ CQ Rescue airlifted an elderly man with a broken neck from a remote homestead near Mt Coolon.

The 87-year-old man had fallen down a flight of stairs at the cattle property and suffered spinal injuries.

The team were tasked by Queensland Health at about 4.30pm on Friday to fly more than 400km with a doctor and Critical Care Paramedic on board to treat and retrieve the injured man.

The helicopter landed in a grassed area adjacent to the homestead in the nearly four-hour mission and he was transferred to Mackay Base Hospital in stable condition.

On Saturday the rescue helicopter was tasked to an EPIRB activation about 35 kilometres east of Hayman Island at about 6.30pm.

The helicopter quickly honed in on the distress beacon signal and made radio contact with occupants on a five-metre centre-console boat just before dark to establish they were safe, unhurt and that their boat had broken down.

Volunteer Marine Rescue was already en route to the scene and was tasked to assist retrieve the vessel and those on board, so the rescue helicopter returned to base at Mackay Airport.

On Sunday, RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked again to Hayman Island to airlift a resident with a serious abdominal condition.

It was a busy weekend of emergency airlifts for RACQ CQ Rescue and uplifting to know that all patients survived.

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Caption: RACQ CQ Rescue landed at a remote property near Mt Coolon on Friday to transfer an 87-year-old man with a broken neck to hospital. Photo supplied

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Organisers are thrilled with the success of their Bali Hai Fundraiser held at Waters Edge Resort on Saturday night.

Not only did the raindrops stay away for a spectacular open-air event around the pool, their valued guests and business sponsors generated over $15,000 worth of donations on the night.

The Tiny Homes Project is dedicated to raising much-needed funds for the construction of four homes on Gardenia Street in Proserpine on a piece of land which has kindly been donated by the Whitsunday Regional Council.

These four homes will be given to women over 55 who are currently experiencing homelessness and charity founder, Sandy Clark, said women in this demographic are statistically the most likely to suffer from homelessness.

“These women are someone’s sisters, mothers, cousins or grandmothers,” she said.

“It’s not fair that these elderly women are homeless and it’s not right that we turn a blind eye to reality when collectively we can make a difference.  

“We can fix this problem if we come together and share the load.”

The Bali Hai event was the latest in a series of charity dinners dedicated to raising money for the Tiny Homes project and Sandy said she was delighted by the ongoing support.

“The event was sold out two weeks in advance and we had nearly 100 enthusiastic guests, many in Balinese style outfits, hoping to win the best-dressed male or female prizes,” she said.

On the night there was live entertainment from Viva Acoustic and the talented Brad Elliott played four roles including MC, Singer, Auctioneer and Comedian.

Mayor Julie Hall was in attendance and announced that some of the proceeds from her upcoming Mayor’s Annual Charity Ball, due to be held on July 22, will be given to the project.

Organisers would like to thank every individual and local business who sponsored the event gave kind donations or supported the evening in some way.

While there are too many to list individually, each contribution was deeply appreciated.

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Caption: Volunteer Fiona Donnellan, Joanne Moynihan from Whitsunday Housing Company, Bonnie Taylor who spoke on the night and Sandy Clark from the Tiny Homes Project. Photo credit: Will Finley

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