March 12, 2015
The Charlotte The Emu Memorial Committee will be getting into CROW-FM’s Wondai studios at the crack of dawn on Friday morning, March 13.
From 6:00am to 9:00am, the station’s popular Breakfast Show will be running an on-air auction to raise the final funds they need to get a solid steel statue of the much-loved town emu erected in Coronation Park.
Committee members will be manning the phones to take bids on 17 different items that have been donated to the cause.
Over the last six months, the hard-working group of volunteers have been gathering together $10,000 to erect a permanent memorial to Charlotte, who was run over last May.
Charlotte’s demise led to an immediate outpouring of community grief, and the committee was formed soon afterwards.
Their goal is simple: to build a memorial to the town’s emu entirely funded and owned by the community – something that would become the South Burnett’s equivalent of Western Australia’s “Red Dog” memorial, and which might become a new tourist attraction as well.
Since September the small group have put collection tins out in Wondai, Murgon and Kingaroy; run a previous on-air auction; and staged two very popular outdoor movie nights in Coronation Park.
This morning’s auction, they hope, will spell the end of their fundraising drive.
“We have some really great items up for grabs on Friday morning,” CROW-FM station manager Chris “Corky” Corcoran said.
“Everything from an original 1960s Beatles tea-towel to a 2km electric fence, fishing gear, a digital wheel alignment … no kidding – there’s really something for everyone.”
And if the team manages to cross the line with their fundraising drive, Corky wants to set off a few loud noises in the studio.
“We can’t guarantee we’ll do it today – that’s really up to our bidders – but I can say that we’re hopeful, we’re getting very close and we’re going to give it our best shot.”
The full list of Friday morning’s auction items is as follows:
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Update Friday, March 13: The Charlotte The Emu Memorial Committee hit their fund-raising target after this morning’s auction on CROW-FM.
Corky told southburnett.com.au this afternoon he hadn’t set off alarms in the studio when the target was reached because he was so preoccupied with the auction he wasn’t aware it had happened.
But he said he was “delighted” with the day’s work, and thanked all the sponsors and listeners who supported it, as well as fellow comittee members who manned the phones and had made contributions themselves.
The group will hold its next meeting towards the end of this month to finalise payments to Kilkivan sculptor Dan Davie, who is currentlky building the solid steel statue.
It will also have discussions with the South Burnett Regional Council about finding a permanent location for the monument that fits in with the Village Green master plan for Wondai’s CBD area.
Related articles:
- Radiothon Hopes To Hit Target
- Movie Night Didn’t Fail To Delight
- Get Frozen In Wondai
- Emu Radiothon Hits The Airwaves
- Outdoor Movie Night A Success
- Outdoor Movie Night Will Help Emu Appeal
- Emu Campaign Kicks Off In Wondai
- Full Steam Ahead For Emu Fundraiser
- Emu Committee Ready To Start Fund-Raising
- Radiothon To Fund Emu Memorial
- Emu Memorial Committee Presses Ahead
- Steel Statue Planned To Immortalise Emu
- Art Gallery Plans Emu Tribute
- Wondai’s Beloved Emu Dies
