The major prize in a raffle held at the 2021 Sydney Royal Easter Show will be distributed among flood affected farmers in the Manning.
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An $8000 load of lucerne hay, which was won and donated back by long-time supporter of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation (RASF) and Easter show concessionaire Carmel Dyer, arrived in Taree this week. Farmers will collect the hay next week.
The raffle, held by the foundation, boasted a collective prize pool of more than $10,000 and raised $7890 for the RASF's community grants program, which supports community projects across regional and rural NSW.
The prized hay was positioned as a display at the member's entrance of the show.
The hay was originally donated by RAS councillor and RASF board member David Davidson and his wife Belinda Young.
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After Carmel donated back the hay, the RAS contacted Graeme Cockerall from the Lions Need for Feed disaster relief initiative to determine where the hay would go.
He suggested the hay should be transported from Sydney Showground to farmers in need on the Mid North Coast.
The winners of the fourth, sixth and eighth prizes in the raffle also donated their prizes back. These were gifted to Need for Feed to share with volunteer emergency workers and families in need.
Earlier this month, Need for Feed put a call out for truck drivers to register their interest to visit the Mid North Coast on the Anzac Day weekend for a hay run.
This will follow their efforts over the Easter period.
The Need For Feed Facebook page stated the drivers, many who travelled from interstate, have made a good start but more needs to be done.
During a visit to Hannam Vale, drivers were told about farmers who suffered through the 2019 bushfire crisis and have now lost their feed, stored away for winter, in the floods.