THE ANNUAL Cut Out Party was a huge success, raising $16,000 and everyone having a good time.
The weather was unkind in the lead up to the event, so it was moved indoors at the Proserpine Showground, which proved to be a good choice.
About 200 adults and children attended the event, aimed at celebrating the sugar industry in the community.
The crowd included farmers, harvesters, mill employees, suppliers to the industry – all joining with the community to have a great night out.
The Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) Qld Branch will be the recipients of the fundraising.
“RFDS is very active in our region with medical transfers, however, this is only one part of what they do,” one of the organisers said.
“They also provide other medical services, which are unavailable in a number of regions, such as dental services and mental health services.
“We had amazing support from sponsors – our Platinum sponsors were Australian Cane Farms, QCAR, Cane Country Tyres, Infrabuild, Pacific National, Brown and Hurley and Whitsunday Regional Council.
“We also had a number of gold, silver and bronze sponsors. We ran a charity auction on the evening, which raised $16,000, with prizes provided by a diverse range of industries throughout the entire region.”
Prizes included cattle rail, custom made fire pits, a framed and signed Cowboys jersey, Whitsunday adventure prizes (Croc Safari, Ocean Rafting, Camira day trip), vouchers for accommodation (Boathouse Apartments, Cape Gloucester, Lake Proserpine Glamping), dining vouchers, canvas photos and photo sitting, a timber toy box and truck, made by the local State High Manual Arts team, plus many others.
“It was great to see the entire community come along and celebrate what the sugar industry brings to our region,” the organiser said.
“The committee is most appreciative of the support that they have been given – it is very humbling.”
More photos on page 18 of this week’s Whitsunday News (published Wednesday, March 20, 2024).