{"id":82013,"date":"2014-09-19T00:40:36","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T14:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=82013"},"modified":"2020-11-27T10:20:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T00:20:18","slug":"full-steam-ahead-for-emu-fundraiser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/09\/19\/full-steam-ahead-for-emu-fundraiser\/","title":{"rendered":"Full Steam Ahead
For Emu Fundraiser"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CROW-FM announcer Shaz Birkett and her studio mascot ‘Charlene’ with some of the Charlotte the Emu Memorial collection tins that will be distributed in Wondai, Murgon and Kingaroy next week<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 19, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

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‘Charlene’ the emu sits atop a Charlotte Memorial collection tin; the tins will begin appearing in Wondai, Murgon and Kingaroy businesses next week<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A public fundraising campaign to build a permanent statue of Wondai’s beloved town emu is ready to get underway.<\/p>\n

The Charlotte The Emu committee will be launching the campaign at this month’s Wondai Markets on Saturday, September 27.<\/p>\n

CROW-FM 90.7 will be running live crosses to Coronation Park throughout the morning as part of the launch.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The account is known as the “CROM-FM Emu Account”.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Last month the Committee rejected the idea of seeking any government or council funding towards the project.<\/p>\n

“Wondai was Charlotte\u2019s home and this project was suggested by the community,” CROW-FM station manager Chris “Corky” Corcoran said.<\/p>\n

“So the committee thinks it\u2019s appropriate that when it\u2019s completed, this memorial should be wholly owned by the community, too.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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