AMount Gambier community group has received a generous donation from a local timber company organised by a Limestone Coast philanthropist and supported by local businesses.
Riding for the Disabled Association Mount Gambier received a truck load of hay bales last week from AAM Timber, coordinated by Adam Smith.
Ray Scott Transport donated the trailer and Doug Harrold provided a tractor and worker to unload the hay.
AAM Timber have a long running association with giving back to the community including as the naming rights sponsor for both the Mount Gambier Christmas Parade and Blue Lake Fun Run.
AAM Timber fibre and planning manager Justin Jagger said the company made the truck and hay available and approached Mr Smith about where the hay could be donated to.
“As part of our three sawmills we have also quite a bit of lawn.
Instead of just cutting the grass this year we thought we would just make some haybales and be a good community citizen,” he said.
“RDA is quite close to our operating environment in terms of where we are so we do not have to get the hay to go too far.
“We thought we should reach out to the RDA and Adam was really the one that pulled it together in terms of organising.”
Riding for the Disabled Association Mount Gambier centre manager and coach Robin Reiter said the donated hay will last the group months and save them time and money organising
feed.
“Because we are a non-profit organisation it is good that we do not have to buy the hay because it costs a fortune and then you have to find it,” she said.
“We are lucky because we have had on an ongoing hay supply but he has decided to pack up and decided to sell all his little baling stuff so we had to find hay and it took hours.
“One afternoon me and probably four other people shifted 500 bales from Moorak to here (on Sunnybrae Road) and it was $10 a bale which is a lot of money for us to pay for to feed nine horses.”
Ms Reiter said while the group are grateful for the ongoing support and contributions, they are appealing to the co
mmunity for more help including donations of wiring, posting, iron, wood, rails and troughs.
“We need help wherever we can,” she said.
“This year we are trying to fence the north-side of the property so we are looking for people to jump on board and help with that and this was built in the 1970s so everything is just getting run down and old.
“If any of the dairy have the big round poly troughs that are broken they are good to put round bales in to keep them off the ground and then you put slow feed in it surrounding it to minimise wastage.”
Anyone who wants to
volunteer or donate can contact RDA on Facebook or via email at mtgambier@rdasa.org.au.
