News travels fast, even in the Antarctic.
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Taree's Tim Bayer, a carpenter currently working at Mawson Station in the Antarctic, read the story on the Manning River Times website about Waitui fibre artist Hadley Westwood making bespoke beanies for expeditioners at Mawson Station, in a morning round up of news of the Antarctic the winterers are given.
He saw the story only a day after it was published online, and promptly contacted his mum, Ingrid, as he hadn't known the beanies, three of which were down at Mawson Station waiting for their new owners, were made locally.
The timing couldn't be better - Hadley's hats were being raffled off for a good cause that weekend.
This winter there were only three donated to the expeditioners, with another one donated to be auctioned off on the journey home on the returning ship.
Trying to decide who of the 18 people stationed at Mawson would get a beanie, the decision was made to put them in a raffle, and raise money for cancer patients through Dry July, with the raffle to be drawn at their Christmas in July party.
In the weeks prior to the raffle, they were placed on a table at the end of the mess hall.
"Everyone's having a bit of a sticky beak at which one they fancy. They're pretty amazing," Tim said when talking to the Manning River Times prior to the raffle day.
The beanies proved to be hot property - $5680.67 was given by the 18 winterers for a chance to win one of the beanies - an average of $1893 a beanie.
Hadley said she was more than happy for the beanies to be distributed that way.
"The money goes to charity and it takes the pressure of the station leader having to give out three hats between 18 expeditioners!" she said.
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