| Donation from Lae (PNG) funds much needed trailers for BlazeAid |
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Rotary Club of Merimbula members with BlazeAid volunteers
The community of Lae city, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea raised and donated an incredible $61,000 for bushfire disaster recovery in NSW. The Rotary Club of Merrimbula accepted this wonderful gift and have distributed the funds ($50,000) to Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund with the balance to purchase two trailers for use by BlazeAid camps at Bemboka and Towamba.
Donation from Lae (PNG) funds much needed trailers for BlazeAid
In July the Rotary Club of Merimbula received an unexpectedly generous donation from the community of Lae, capital of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea to put towards bushfire recovery efforts in the region. The bulk of the donation has been transferred to the Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund where it is being used to help fund the latest round of bushfire recovery grants. 
On 23 July members of our club were at Kiah during construction of the pavilion when members of the BlazeAid Team based at Towamba visited. BlazeAid is a volunteer organisation working to replace fencing lost in the recent bushfires. In conversation they said that BlazeAid at Towamba were in need of a caged box trailer, similar to one at the Kiah site, to carry materials to their worksites. An inquiry with the BlazeAid camp at Bemboka established a similar need.
The balance of the donation from the community of Lae has funded the purchase of 2 dual axle galvanised box trailers, initially for use by the BlazeAid camps in Bemboka and Towamba. The trailers were purchased and delivered to the camps last week. When the BlazeAid camps close the trailers will be returned and converted to firefighting trailers for use in the Shire.
A huge thank you to the people of Lae. Your donation is recognised in the signs attached to the rear of the trailers which should provide valuable service for years to come. Thanks also to Glenn at Sapphire Trailers for your consideration and assistance with blue slips for registration.
Images Above (clockwise) [1] Rotary Club of Merimbula members Shane Osta and Andy Thorp delivering the first of the trailers (and a generator and washing machine) to the BlazeAid camp at Bemboka with BlazeAid volunteers Luca (Italy), Yeseul (South Korea) and equipment officer, John Veronese.[2] President of the Rotary Club of Merimbula, Sue Jellis (right) delivers the second of the trailers to Katie Doty (volunteer from Minnesota USA) at the BlazeAid camp in Towamba. [3] Fire ravaged property at Wandella[4]One of the trailers being utilised to deliver a generator on its way to Bemboka.
Image Below - Youth of Lae City fundraising to help fight fire in Australia by Helen Taylor
See also Bega Valley Shire Council - Media Release (30 July 2020) Bushfire recovery donation from Papua New Guinea for the full story