Charity Lunch Fills Town Hall

December 1, 2023

The annual Mayor’s Christmas Luncheon – an important fundraiser to support local families – was a sellout in Kingaroy on Friday morning.

Long tables laid out in Kingaroy Town Hall were filled with diners who had paid $25 a head to enjoy a Christmas lunch prepared by QCWA volunteers.

They enjoyed cold ham, sliced chicken and salad, plus dessert, with ingredients donated by IGA Kingaroy and Sunpork / Swickers.

Local businesses were also very generous, with 65 raffle prizes donated.

There was even entertainment, live music presented by the musicians from Nanango’s The Shed: Richard Ogden, Joanne Newbery, Greg Hunt, Jane Erkens, Nathan Hartley and Geoff Lindridge.

The lunch was compered by Council CEO Mark Pitt, with Acting Mayor Gavin Jones introducing and thanking the guest speaker, Brent Reeman.

Brent is the founder of “Long Drive For Drought”, an initiative which has raised $413,000 for Drought Angels since 2020.

Brent said the “Long Drive” began as “a bit of a silly idea” after he had finished restoring a 40 Series LandCruiser.

He put out the idea of doing a charity drive with other LandCruisers, and was swamped with responses.

That first “Long Drive” raised $45,000, and he quickly discovered the idea was so successful he could not walk away from it.

The effort not only supports Drought Angels but puts a spotlight on the towns the convoy travels through, boosting tourism opportunities.

Drought Angels – which supports farmers after floods, fires and other natural disasters, too – received another $150,000 from the Long Drive this year.

Brent said more than 130 primary producers in the South Burnett region had received support from Drought Angels.

Money raised at the Mayor’s Christmas Luncheon will be converted into gift cards which will be distributed by local charities. 

UPDATE December 18:  The Mayor’s Community Christmas Luncheon raised $7335.60.

  Council, Kingaroy