It was an amazing night and an amazing crowd at the Cooroy RSL on Saturday night 29th February 2020. In excess of 250 guests (capacity) attended the Bushfire Appeal event to raise money for Wilvos Wildlife Volunteers and they were entertained into the night by three wonderful bands who generously volunteered their time and talent to help make the night a wonderful success.
The Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc. (WILVOS) is based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and has been operating for over 25 years providing rescue, rehabilitation and release services to the local native fauna. Find out more info here.
Previously caring for wildlife under the umbrella of Queensland National Parks, WILVOS became an incorporated body back in 1995, they now have 300 volunteer members who all have a passion and desire to assist our native animals in need.
With a dedicated hotline that operates 24 hours a day 365 days a year, WILVOS receives thousands of calls each year from members of the community requiring assistance for injured, orphaned or distressed animals. They are continually looking for new members to join them. Whether it be assisting on their hotline, helping in rescues or becoming a carer. If you missed out on attending the fundraiser, you can donate directly here.
The steller event was due to the commitment of the organisers, Kerry from Cooroy Country Wear and Jeanery, Helen from the RSL and Esther Rijkenberg whom together made the event a huge success. Kerry, Helen and Esther said they were overwhelmed at the amount of local businesses that jumped on board, without hesitation, “Ours is such a wonderful caring community and we feel so very lucky to live and work in Cooroy”, Kerry said.
To give a snapshot of some of the generosity, of over 100 Donations that were available as raffle and auction prizes on the night Cooroy Legal Centre donated a Full Will valued at $495.00, Fraser Island Adventure Tours donated a tour valued at $380.00, Cooroy Service Centre donated a Service valued at $250.00,Wythes Real Estate donated a Bubbles& Visa Card pack valued at $250.00, Qld Invest gave a Cash Donation of $200.00 and Cooroy Landscape Supplies donated a gorgeous Mummy and Baby Koala Garden Ornament. There are too many supporters to mention each one here so Keep an eye out in the local Cooroy Rag as there will be a full list of everyone that donated, please support these wonderful businesses that gave so unselfishly to this awesome cause.
The venue was fantastic and Helen and her Team at the RSL were amazing. From the decorating to the amazing food and service provided on the night, people mentioned all night how much fun they had. Another huge shout out is to the volunteer MC Richard Hansen from Impact Presentations, Richard donated his valuable time and did a sterling job. Richard organises wonderful events that share unique messages, stories or ideas at Ignite Sunshine Coast. The next event is on 26th March 2020 and you can get further info here.
A huge surprise to organisers, at the end of the speeches, while Kerry was announcing how much was raised, Terry from Slips Auto Parts pledged a further $1000 donation. What an amazing man and a surprise to everyone on the night. Please support all the wonderful local family owned businesses and local artists in Cooroy by thinking local next time you need to buy something.
With thanks to the amazing generosity of Cooroy businesses and the community as a whole, the fundraising event was a huge success with $5437.80 raised in raffle ticket sales and auctioned items. When questioned, those who attended raved that it was a fantastic night all round and many stayed till late on, dancing the night away. Congratulations to all involved in supporting a fantastic cause.