A Day for the Farmers

ALEXANDER Downs and the Merriwa Sports Club have organised a bowls and golf day this Sunday to raise money for the Sir Ivan Bushfire relief appeal and to give those affected a day out.

Robert Gill of Alexander Downs is accepting cattle at Alexander Downs as part of the appeal but acknowledged that sometimes you need time out.

“The Merriwa Sports Club put it on for us to raise money for the appeal and to give the guys that got burnt out the chance to have a day out, there’s golf and bowls, a luncheon, an auction and a cricket match as well,” Mr Gill said.

Items to be auctioned have not just come from the local area but some of the items are sure to attract great interest.

“There’s a four pass up to Packer’s golf course at Ellerston, another guy has given two by two tickets to the State of Origin with good seats and a night at the Shangri-la with a full breakfast and a limo to and from the game, there are numerous other things,” Robert Gill said.

Golf and bowls entries have to be in by 8am and the cost is $5 per player, kids activities and cake stall will start at 10am, lunch starts at 12pm, the auction starts at 2pm and for those that want to relax in the afternoon there will be entertainment from 4pm.

Alexander Downs
Photo courtesy of Alexander Downs

The appeal saw Alexander Downs have another 80 cattle join the 320 cattle already at the Gill property as part of the relief efforts of Australian farmers.

The cattle at the property are gaining weight with some soon to be ready for sale.

“The cattle are putting on the best of 2 kilos a day, some of them won´t be there for 80 days and we are selling our first couple next week, ” Mr Gill said.

The two cattle to be sold will be put up for sale through Alexader Downs Facebook page and will be available to the public.

“The public can buy them and bare in mind that any money the cattle make there is no costs coming out, all that money will be going to the fund,” said Robert Gill.

As with the auction items the cattle are being donated from close and afar with people opening their hearts to the appeal.

“The donations we are getting for these cattle are coming from as far away as Queensland, everyone feels for everyone,”

“We are either buying or being given 100 cattle a week, we are aiming for about six and half hundred which will take about another three and a half weeks if it all goes to plan, so far it is going to plan.”

You can donate through the NSW farmers website:

www.nswfarmers.org.au/home/2017_bushfire_appeal/_nocache

Link to the Alexander Downs Facebook page where the cattle will be for sale.

www.facebook.com/AlexanderDownsMerriwa/