April 5, 2017
Internationally famous poet Rupert McCall will be the special guest speaker at the launch of this year’s South Burnett Relay For Life.
McCall is the author of six anthologies of verse that have collectively sold more than 120,000 copies.
Loved by many as ‘the poet of our generation’, his tributes have become highly sought after and treasured.
In 2005, he was awarded the honour of opening the Prelude to the Dawn Service in Gallipoli with his moving tribute “Ninety Years Ago”.
In 2011, he recited his poem “A Firefighter’s Dream” at Ground Zero for the New York Fire Department on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Rupert has paid tribute in verse to sporting legends including Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Greg Norman, Phil Hughes, Gary Ablett, John Eales, Dawn Fraser, the late Sir Don Bradman and even Black Caviar.
He has also hosted and spoken at many high profile functions including Allan Border Medal dinners, the AFL Hall of Fame dinners, Olympic receptions, race meetings from Flemington to Birdsville, Test Match Rugby functions, tributes and testimonials.
And in 2013 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community.
South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell has invited Rupert to be a special guest speaker at a Mayor’s Community Charity Breakfast that will beld at the Nanango Cultural Centre on May 4.
The breakfast will officially launch this year’s Relay For Life effort, which raises funds for the Queensland Cancer Council.
Rupert McCall was last seen in the region in November 2015 when he was a special guest at then-Mayor Wayne Kratzmann’s Community Christmas Lunch.
That function raised funds to provide Christmas food vouchers to disadvantaged South Burnett residents.
But this time, funds raised by the breakfast will be donated to Relay For Life.
Tickets for the Charity Breakfast – which will be held from 6:45am to 8:30am – are $25 per head and went on sale on Wednesday, April 5.
They can be booked by phoning Mayor Campbell’s personal assistant Bronwyn Barry on (07) 4189-9155 or by emailing her.
For catering purposes, tickets need to be booked by Monday, April 24.
This year’s Relay For Life will be held at Kingaroy Showgrounds on October 7-8.
