Dollar for dollar brings great results for SES

HEATHCOTE businesses and the community have been praised for their support of SES fundraising efforts for a four-wheel-drive medium rescue truck as the tally passed $60,000 this week.

“Businesses and the community have been incredibly generous,” Sally Duncan of Heathcote SES said.

“Everyone has gotten behind the campaign and it is all very much appreciated.

“Although we still have more to do, we are far beyond where we hoped to be at this stage.”

Last year, the Community Bank Heathcote and District encouraged local businesses to ‘pay it forward’ by donating a small portion of their sales to fundraising efforts. The bank then committed to donate dollar-for-dollar to the campaign.

“The initiatives by the Community Bank Heathcote and District showed great foresight in bringing the community together for this project,” Ms Duncan said.

“Shopping local and paying it forward was a great promotion. I think everyone understands that it all benefits the community.

“Seventy-four per cent of our local roads are unsealed, and the new vehicle will make it much easier to access them when needed.

“We will be able to get there quicker and more easily and there will be less damage to the vehicle.”

Heathcote and District Financial Services Limited marketing and local engagement manager Charleen Warburton said the bank is very pleased with the efforts so far.

“The board at Community Bank Heathcote and District are pleased by the positive impact our December shop local promotion had within the Heathcote community,” she said.

“We’re excited to be able to match these funds and the other donated funds meaning we’re almost a third of the way there to the SES’s goal.”

SES Heathcote plays a vital role in the Heathcote district.

“We want to ensure they’re able to continue the fantastic work they already do; we are only able to do this thanks to our customers,” Ms Warburton said.

“At Community Bank Heathcote and District we invest up to 80 per cent of our profits back into community groups like the SES and so many others.”

The dollar-for-dollar promotion will continue until April.