The Gundagai branch of Can Assist is once again showing the power of grassroots support in action, holding a productive committee meeting recently and rolling out an innovative new fundraising initiative designed to support local cancer patients.
With its Annual General Meeting on the horizon and a strong call-out for community involvement, the group is both reflective of its progress and eager to build for the future. Gundagai Can Assist President Phil Smith said the session was mostly routine, dealing with correspondence from head office and starting preparations for the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held in the coming weeks.
“Our AGM is the big focus at the moment,” Smith explained. “All executive positions will be declared vacant, and we’re actively looking for people to step into leadership roles. We especially need a new treasurer and secretary, and we’d love to see someone from the wider community put their hand up.”
While some current committee members may choose to nominate, Smith said there is always room for fresh energy and new ideas.
“If there’s someone in Gundagai who wants to be more involved in helping locals dealing with cancer, now’s the time to do it,” he added.
Can Assist provides crucial financial support to cancer patients across regional NSW, helping with everything from travel and accommodation costs to out-of-pocket medical expenses. In towns like Gundagai, where access to treatment often means long journeys and overnight stays, the work of Can Assist can mean the difference between someone getting the care they need or not.
While the AGM marks a moment of reflection and renewal, Can Assist Gundagai is also gaining momentum with a brand-new fundraising initiative, a community can collection trailer, designed to collect refundable drink containers at local events.
Local business owners Michelle and Jarrod Jones, of Eureka Truck Repairs, were the driving force behind the project. Michelle explained how the idea came about and how quickly the community got on board.
“My husband and I thought, why not get a trailer and start collecting cans at events?” she said. “We spoke to a bunch of local businesses about a dozen in total and everyone chipped in to cover the cost. We registered it in our name for simplicity, but it’s been fully donated to Can Assist Gundagai to use however they like.”
The trailer is now equipped with bins that can be set up at local events, especially football matches and community days, to collect cans that would otherwise end up in landfill. After each event, volunteers from Can Assist sort, count, and bag the cans, then take them to the local return depot for cash redemption. Every cent raised goes directly to Can Assist.
“There are no overheads. The local businesses that helped buy the trailer also agreed to cover future maintenance, tyres, registration, anything that’s needed so 100% of what we raise from the cans goes to helping local families affected by cancer,” Michelle explained.
The trailer is already a regular sight at Tigers junior and senior football games and is scheduled to be at major upcoming events like the Snake Gully Cup in November. Michelle and Jarrod also try to make the trailer available to people who can’t attend events but want to contribute.
“If you can’t make it to the footy, we’ve got the trailer parked out the front of our workshop at 47 West Street, whenever we can,” said Michelle. “People can just drop their cans in. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible.”
Behind the scenes, volunteers like Happy Bourke, Glen McGieche, and Rod Brooke have taken on the important job of counting and bagging up the cans after events.
“It’s a bit of work, but it’s worth it,” Michelle added. “We’ve all been touched by cancer in some way. A friend of ours, Lizzie Britt, who was loved by everyone, passed away from cancer. That’s what drives us; helping others in her memory and in memory of all the people we’ve lost.”
If you’re hosting an event in Gundagai and would like the Can Assist can collection trailer on-site, you can contact Jarrod on 0437 295 082 or Michelle on 0412 519 070. Every can counts, and every bit of support helps local cancer patients in need.
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