Carols cash supports Wedgetail

MURWILLUMBAH’S Carols in the Park organisers have donated $2,000 to community-run hospice Wedgetail Retreat after two years of delivering the annual event.

Representatives from the Murwillumbah Lions Club, Rotary Club of Murwillumbah, Rotary Club of Murwillumbah Central and Rotary Club of Mt Warning AM Murwillumbah presented the cheque at Murwillumbah Services Club on May 20, with funds raised through Carols in the Park over the past two years directed toward supporting the hospice’s work.

Speaking on behalf of the Rotary Club of Mt Warning AM Murwillumbah, Peter McDonald said supporting Wedgetail Retreat was important because the hospice relied on community backing.

“Wedgetail is our local hospice and it’s self-funded and reliant on volunteers and community support through funding,” McDonald said.

McDonald said Carols in the Park had become a valuable community event over its two-year run.

“The performers are from primary school to local choirs to individual artists and it brings all sectors of the community together,” he said.

McDonald said this was the first time since the event began that it had generated surplus funds that could be donated back into the community.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to financially be in a position to give money back to the community,” he said.

“It’s great to think that we’ve reached this point and be able to finally give back and we couldn’t do this without the support of our sponsors because they help fund the event.”

Tweed Palliative Support and Wedgetail Retreat president Meredith Dennis OAM said Wedgetail Retreat is the only community hospice in New South Wales.

“Wedgetail Retreat is the only community hospice in New South Wales. We receive no government funding and we raise all our own funds,” she said.

“It costs us nearly a million dollars a year to run Wedgetail because we obviously have very high insurances and all that sort of stuff and our nurses’ wages.

“But we are so incredibly well supported by the community.”

“Because we are the only community hospice in New South Wales, it’s quite a unique story and the community have this real affiliation with it,” she said.

“They really want to support us.”