Media Release 9 March, 2018
Outback Festival donates heart felt relief for lives threatened by nation’s vast distances
Despite droughts and flooding rains, the volunteers of the Outback Festival in Winton, Queensland, have raised $22,000 to the Heart of Australia program which offers an innovative approach to front-line specialist medical service, specifically aiming to help Australians whose lives are threatened by this nation’s vast distances.
The Heart of Australia program brings regular cardiac, endocrine and respiratory specialist services to rural and remote communities across Queensland.
“We were able to raise $22,000 for the Heart of Australia clinic”, said festival coordinator Robyn Stephens OAM. "This foundation was identified as country Australians are currently 44% more likely than city dwellers to die from a heart attack”.
The $22,000 cheque was delivered on Saturday 3rd March in Winton by Outback Festival committee members who made a special presentation to Dr Rolf Gomes, Brisbane cardiologist and founder of ‘Heart of Australia’ whilst he was in Winton.
This generous donation was raised at the 2017 Sunset Extravaganza Sunset Dinner attended by over 300+ people held during the September festival at the Bladensburg National Park.
“The Sunset Charity Dinner was a major fundraising activity of the program and exemplifies this small town’s commitment to its fellow Australians”, explains Festival coordinator and Winton resident, Robyn Stephens OAM.
The Charity Dinners have been a major fundraising activity of the Outback Festival’s program for some years with over $90,000 being donated to many worthwhile causes.
The evening dinner also featured a re-enactment of the original charge of the Light Horse Brigade celebrating the Centenary of the Charge at Beersheba by the Qld. Light Horse Historical Troops.
“We acknowledged that of the 519 men who enlisted from the district during WW1 approximately one fifth of these men enlisted into the Australian Light Horse Regiment “said Australian Country music singer and MC for the evening, Tania Kernaghan.
INTERVIEWS
Festival Director, Robyn Stephens OAM, M 0429 806 140
HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dtk7z9uq6w3x7l7/AAB4h5nlfM79MPccJgLzZdvba?dl=0
MEDIA SUPPORT
Krista Hauritz M 0421 148 098
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