Fruits of labour help kids

THE No. 23 Masonic Social Committee has again supported the Ballarat’s Cops ‘n Kids Camp with a $1500 donation towards this year’s event.

Originally established by members of the Ballarat Police, the camp seeks to provide an entertaining and invigorating experience for children with cancer.

The camp’s action-packed schedule gives kids the chance to meet members of the Victoria Police and travel in police cars and the police bus.

This latest donation consisted of a $500 from the No. 23 Masonic Social Committee with an additional $1000 donation from Freemasons Foundation Victoria Limited.

The Foundation is the charitable arm of Victorian Freemasonry, and each year provides in excess of $2 million in funding to various organisations throughout the state of Victoria.

No. 23 Masonic Social Committee has for many years operated an annual fruit sale to raise funds for charity, and in excess of $60,000 has been distributed to many local groups and organisations since 1999.

Fruit is collected by lodge members direct from the grower in Shepparton and re-packaged into 5 kg lots for sale.

The fruit is transported to Ballarat using a truck provided each year by Hewitt & Whitty. They also allow the committee to conduct the annual fruit sale from within their store located in Wiltshire Lane, Delacombe.

The No. 23 Masonic Social Committee is a sub-committee of the Sturt-Buninyong United Lodge No. 23, which meets each month at its lodge rooms in Warrenheip Street, Buninyong. The lodge was formed in Buninyong in 1858 and has been meeting at its current premises in Buninyong since 1906.