September 19, 2014
A public fundraising campaign to build a permanent statue of Wondai’s beloved town emu is ready to get underway.
The Charlotte The Emu committee will be launching the campaign at this month’s Wondai Markets on Saturday, September 27.
CROW-FM 90.7 will be running live crosses to Coronation Park throughout the morning as part of the launch.
The Wondai Show Society’s raffle for a chainsaw sculpture of an emu mother and chick – created by Maleny artist Matt George at this year’s Wondai Show – will be drawn during the morning as part of the launch activities.
The committee aims to raise $10,000 to build a life-size metal sculpture of the emu which will be mounted in Coronation Park near the town’s new entrance walls, close to the Wondai roundabout.
Award-winning Kilkivan sculptor Dan Davie has been commissioned to build the statue, and the committee hope to have the finished work unveiled shortly before Christmas.
Specially marked collection tins will be distributed to businesses in Wondai, Murgon and Kingaroy next week where the public can make small cash donations towards the project.
An account has also been set up with the Bank Of Queensland to accept donations across the counter at any Bank Of Queensland branch, or online through direct funds transfer.
The account is known as the “CROM-FM Emu Account”.
In addition to collection tins and proceeds from the Show Society’s chainsaw sculpture raffle, CROW-FM also plans to hold an on-air auction in late October or early November to round out the fundraising efforts.
The committee has already received pledges of $750 from donors, and is quietly confident the balance of the $10,000 needed for the project can be raised from the community before the statue is finished.
Last month the Committee rejected the idea of seeking any government or council funding towards the project.
“Wondai was Charlotte’s home and this project was suggested by the community,” CROW-FM station manager Chris “Corky” Corcoran said.
“So the committee thinks it’s appropriate that when it’s completed, this memorial should be wholly owned by the community, too.”
Businesses who’d like to display a collection tin in their shops to help the campaign should ring CROW-FM during office hours on (07) 4169-0700.
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