August 2, 2016
Community radio station CROW-FM has been selected as one of five finalists for this year’s CBAA Radio Awards in the ‘Best Fundraising Campaign’ category.
The station was selected for its work on Wondai’s Charlotte The Emu project, which resulted in a steel statue of the former town emu being erected in Coronation Park last July.
The project had begun more than year earlier when Charlotte the town emu was accidentally run down and killed by a passing motorist.
The radio station began receiving calls and emails soon afterwards from grief-stricken locals, suggesting some sort of memorial be created to remember the bird, which had lived in the town for many years.
A voluntary committee was formed and it set about raising $10,000 needed to commission a statue by award-winning Kilkivan metal sculptor Dan Davie.
Over the next 12 months the committee arranged two outdoor movie nights in Coronation Park and put fundraising collection tins in retail outlets from Kingaroy to Murgon.
CROW-FM also held two radiothons to raise funds.
The finished memorial was unveiled in front of a very large crowd on July 27 in a ceremony that included two choirs singing “Old Man Emu”, a speech by former South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann, and a eulogy by Winston Burrows.
CROW-FM station manager Chris “Corky” Corcoran said the radio station’s staff were floored when they found out they’d become Radio Awards finalists.
“There were 286 entries in this category and this is the first time the station has made a national final, so we’re super excited,” Corky said.
“Whatever the outcome, being selected as a finalist is really a tribute to the Charlotte the Emu committee and the amazing support of both the general and business community of the South Burnett”.
The final winners of the 2016 Radio Awards will be announced in November this year.
Related articles:
- Crowds Flock To Emu Unveiling
- The Emu Has (Almost) Landed
- Emu Committee To Invite Royals
- Auction Gets Emu Group Over The Line
- 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
