June 20, 2013
For the past 13 years or so Kingaroy’s Les Porter has been taking part in the Great Endeavour Rally with his famous “Flying Peanut” …. but this year, he’ll have a special guest on board, his sister Heather Anderson.
Heather, Les, Les’s twin sister Phyllis Williams, from Monto; and family friend Greg “Brownie” Brown will be packed into Les’s Nissan Patrol when it leaves Caloundra on July 13 for the eight-day fundraising trek north to Port Douglas.
The rally’s first night is, fittingly, in Kingaroy before heading off the next day to Theodore.
Heather is best-known for her “Bob’s Barber’s Shop” in Tuite Arcade in Kingaroy Street.
She can’t wait for the rally and has already begun fundraising with a donation jar on her counter. She’ll also be packing her clippers and colour sprays to do some more on-the-job fundraising along the way.
But she admits her family was concerned when she announced she was taking part.
You see, Heather hasn’t be very well recently; her shop was closed for some time last year as she battled illness.
However, she set the rally as a goal to look forward to and she hasn’t looked back.
The shop re-opened with daughter Donna Raffin in charge and Heather helping out.
She says her loyal customers helped her to stay positive.
“The customers are the ones that got me through my illness,” she said.
“They supported me all the way and gave me the power and strength to carry on.
“I just love it here.”
Last weekend Heather travelled to Dalby with Les to test the Nissan Patrol in a Worker’s Rally through the Kumbarilla State Forest.
She had lots of fun and now can’t wait for the main rally to begin.
However she’s hoping some more local sponsors will come on board to back her as each team member hopes to raise $3000.
“But I understand there has just been the flood appeal and things are tight at the moment,” she said.
Phyllis held a bowls day at Monto which raised $2400, and is planning another bowls day at Binjour Plateau.
Les and “Brownie” are running raffles on Friday nights at the Kumbia Hotel and on Saturday nights at the Carrollee to add to the coffers.
