Love Local News

Pittsworth Art Group’s twelfth annual Spring Art Exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 6th October with over 150 brand new paintings by the Art Group members. Pottery and woodcraft are also on display.

The exhibition runs until the Sunday,14th October to coincide with the Craft and Fine Food Spectacular and give visitors to Pittsworth an opportunity to view these works at the Gallery 50 Short Street, just near the Ambulance Station.

The first Saturday and Sunday(6th&7th) sees visiting artist John Wilson, from Katoomba, running a workshop for keen oil painters.

Our members have truly risen to the occasion this year as the paintings in many mediums have broken the record for numbers on display.

Please visit and enjoy the time, and help us to promote what a wonderful town Pittsworth is.

Submitted by:
Lyndall Madden

The Museum of Australian Army Flying at Oakey will be staging their Annual Fly-In on Saturday and Sunday, 6th and 7th October which promises to be a fantastic weekend for the whole family.
A spectacular event is planned, showcasing some of Australia’s best vintage and collectable aircraft.
Board Secretary, Mrs Helen Bawden OAM said some of this year’s drawcards will be a Mustang and Wirraway on both days. Another special aircraft attending will be an ex Army Sioux A1-660, affectionately known as OSCAR, that is celebrating fifty years of service this year. She is bright yellow and will be easy to identify”, says Helen.

See current aircraft from the Oakey Army Aviation Centre and get up close to inspect the Kiowa, Black Hawk, Tiger and the new high tech MRH90 helicopter,  and take up the opportunity to talk to our pilots and engineers about a career with Army.

There will be opportunities to win a Joy Flight with the Darling Downs Aero club for those who would love to take a flight, or book an adventure flight in a real warbird.

The Toowoomba Aeromodellers’ Association will show their expertise with model flying throughout the weekend, the Darling Downs Scale Modellers will have a comprehensive static display and the Army Group South will have a very big display of memorabilia and old vehicles.

See the progression of our Spitfire rebuild A58-27 MKV and talk to our Volunteers about the project.

Local groups and organisations in Oakey will once again be catering in the food stalls with so many of the popular delicacies to enjoy while you are strolling around the grounds enjoying the exhibits and aircraft. There will be raffles for the kids, a free cup of tea for those showing their aged pension cards between 10.00am and 12.00 noon and a few other surprises up our sleeves so you will have to visit to find out about.

Gates open at 10am, parking is free and entrance is $5 for adults with children under 12 free. Souvenirs will be on sale in the Museum shop.

Support our Troops and we will see you all at Oakey!

The event is proudly sponsored by Channel 7, Workwear Discounts and New Hope Group.

Submitted by:
Helen Bawden OAM
Secretary
Board of Directors
Phone: 07 4691 1622

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is appealing for more people to give blood this Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

We are holding a special session on Saturday 29th September from 8am – 12midday to ensure stocks remain at a safe level over the long weekend. We still have a number of appointments to fill and we are asking for the community to please come in and help save lives” Blood Service Community Relations Officer Kirsten McGovern said. It’s been a difficult year for the blood supply, with colds and flu stopping many regular donors coming in, so we really need more help to build stocks now”

The Blood Service is calling on former donors, or anyone who has thought about becoming a blood donor, to make the commitment, and call them today. Cancer patients, people undergoing surgery, pregnant women and unborn babies all require donated blood. There is no substitute for blood and it’s needed every day.

One in three people will need blood in their lifetime, but only one in 30 Australians donate. Right now we are all relying on too few Australians to keep the blood supplies flowing. We need to bolster blood stocks, and we can’t do that without community support. Every blood donation saves three lives, and the life you save might be that of someone you love” Kirsten said.

To make an appointment of for more information, visit donateblood.com.au or call the Australian Red Cross Blood Service today on 13 14 95.

Submitted by:
Kirsten McGovern
Community Relations Officer

Cooyar Hotel co-owner Karyn Williamson can again boast that she’s Queensland’s U.G.L.Y. bartender of the year – and it’s a title she can be pretty proud of!

Karyn’s tremendous efforts of raising $15,580 in the Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland competition earned her first place, beating 176 other contenders across the state for the U.G.L.Y. (Understanding, Generous, Likeable, You) crown. Nineteen bartenders from the Darling Downs and South West Queensland region participated in the competition.

The second highest Queensland fundraiser this year was also from the Darling Downs region – Danni Lee from Mary’s Commercial Hotel in Dalby raised $11,511. Of the top 10 fundraisers in this year’s competition, six were from the Darling Downs and South West Queensland region.

1. Karyn Williamson $15,580 (Cooyar Hotel)
2. Danni Lee $11,511.25 (Mary’s Commercial Hotel, Dalby)
5. Madison Van Beuzekom $7,697.85 (Settlers Inn Hotel, Toowoomba)
7. Jenna Senior $7,421.95 (Irish Club Hotel, Toowoomba)
9. Brittani Washington $6,037.95 (The Royal Hotel, Goondiwindi)
10. Katie Hutchins $5,900.34 (Porters Plainland Hotel) (source: www.uglybartender.org.au)

Karyn, who lost her husband to leukaemia twenty years ago, thanked her small community for getting behind her once again to help deliver such an outstanding result for blood cancer patients.

2012 is my third year participating in this competition and it’s always so much fun to be part of while raising funds for such a great cause,” Karyn said. Together, my very small community of Cooyar has shown it has a big heart helping me to raise more than $45,000 in the three years I have participated in the competition to support patients in need.”

For raising the most money in Queensland this year (and for raising more than $15,000), Karyn wins a travel voucher valued at $2830, and a fully installed ice machine for her venue (valued at $7,500) thanks to major sponsor Hoshizaki Lancer.A list of Queensland’s top fundraising U.G.L.Y. bartenders can be found at www.uglybartender.org.au or by phoning 1800 002 244.

Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland CEO, Bill Petch, said Queensland’s hospitality industry had embraced U.G.L.Y. bartender of the year with enthusiasm and heart. This year’s U.G.L.Y. competition has delivered some beautiful results raising more than $228,000 across Queensland at the official close of banking on September 3,” Mr Petch said. We must also thank those in the community including local businesses who got behind their local bartenders to help them deliver such fantastic fundraising results.”

A list of Queensland’s top fundraising U.G.L.Y. bartenders can be found at www.uglybartender.org.au or by phoning 1800 002 244.

Submitted by: Leah Nicoll
Communications Officer
Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland
E: lnicoll@leukaemia.org.au