November 16, 2015
Internationally-renowned poet Rupert McCall will be the special guest speaker at the Mayor’s Community Christmas Luncheon on December 11.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann launched the fundraising lunch last year to raise money for food vouchers to enable those in the community who could not afford to put Christmas lunch on the table to do so.
“Our function is very reliant on donations from our local businesses, with all food and time donated,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
Kingaroy Supa IGA has already come on board by donating all the food for this year’s event.
“The Christmas Luncheon is a fundraising lunch that celebrates old-fashioned Christmas spirit with carols, a cold lunch served by the QCWA and good community company,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
“It’s an extraordinary community effort to enable that Christmas feeling to be shared beyond our own tables. We are very honoured to have Rupert McCall support our event.”
McCall is the author of six anthologies of verse that have collectively sold more than 120,000 copies, and he is equally at home on radio or on TV.
Loved by many as ‘the poet of our generation’, Rupert McCall’s 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 also paid tribute 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 high profile functions including Allan Border Medal dinners, the AFL Hall of Fame dinners, Olympic receptions, racing occasions from Flemington to Birdsville, Test Match Rugby functions, tributes and testimonials.
In 2013 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community.
The Mayor’s Community Charity Luncheon will be held on December 11 at the Kingaroy Town Hall in Glendon Street, Kingaroy, and will begin at 12:15 pm.
Tickets are $25, and all proceeds will be placed in the Mayor’s Community Benefit Fund.
If you’d like to attend, RSVP by December 4 to Kristy Board on (07) 4189-9345 or by emailing her.
