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Trendy Toowoomba nightclub, The Cube Hotel, and Cancer Council Queensland invite local party-goers to a night of masks and mischief, at the Think Pink Masquerade New Year’s Eve Party. The Cube Hotel is holding its inaugural New Year’s Eve charity party to raise vital funds and awareness of breast cancer in the community.

Manager of the Cube Hotel, Myles Davidson said Toowoomba wanted to create a New Year’s specific event for younger residents. We’re keen to make this an annual party, for the enjoyment of locals at this festive time and, more importantly, to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer,” he said.

Guests will have a chance of winning a new Vmoto Milan Scooter.

Tickets cost $75, which includes food and drinks from 6.30pm – 10.30pm. $15 from each ticket sale will be donated to Cancer Council Queensland. Tickets can be purchased from the Cube Hotel up until the event, and from Cancer Council Queensland’s Toowoomba office (137 Herries Street) until Christmas Eve.

Where: The Cube Hotel, 169 Margaret Street Toowoomba

Date: December 31, 2009

Time: From 6.30pm

Cancer Council Queensland is an independent, community-based charity. The achievements of Cancer Council Queensland are made possible by the generosity of Queenslanders.

A fund raising night to be held Friday 20th November at the Stock Exchange Hotel will this year raise funds for Camp Quality. Julie Forster from Perfect Parties and Picnics said she has chosen Camp Quality to be the recipients from this years fund raising event.
As a national not-for-profit organisation, Camp Quality is there for families living with cancer for the entire journey, from diagnosis through treatment and into remission.
Camp Quality’s object is bringing fun and optimism into the lives of children living with cancer, and in keeping with their objectives Julie says a fun packed night is planned for the November 20th.
Live band Dirty Water” will provide the music for the event and Cleo the Clown will also make an appearance.
Julie has been supported by many businesses that have provided gifts and vouchers for the multi draw raffle to the value of $1000.
The evening will start at 4.30 pm with the meal being served at 6 pm.
Cost of the evening which includes a ticket in the multi draw raffle & meal is $15.00. For further information Phone 0438463577 or check out the internet at www.perfectpartiesandpicnics.com

The Lions Club of Toowoomba West will again stage Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland of Lights in December. The move from the Burstow Funerals site to the Botanical Gardens of Queens Park last year proved very popular and there are plans underway to make the event bigger and better.

Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland has now grown to be one of Queensland’s biggest light extravaganzas with over 45,000 people visiting the lights display each year since 2006. In all, close to $200,000 has been raised for charity and the Lions Club of Toowoomba West is keen to keep the established tradition going.

A project team has been established, comprising Lions club members and representatives of community based, non-profit organisations, to plan this year’s event. The major beneficiaries this year include: Toowoomba Hospital Foundation, Lifeline and Toowoomba Hospice, with a number of other local charities to benefit.

The Toowoomba Regional Council has once again approved the use of the Botanical Gardens for this year’s event. This site is considered to be excellent, being close to the CBD, with adequate parking and an ambiance that is ideally suited for holding a Christmas lights wonderland. Already many sponsors have committed to the event and many more are being sought. Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland will run from the 5th December to 24th December 2009 in the Queens Park Botanic Gardens.

The Toowoomba Hospice has arranged a bus to take in the local wineries on Sunday 18 October 2009.

Winery Tour organizer Mrs. Christine Siebuhr said this years tour is taking in wineries from Stanthorpe, Castle Glen, Ballandean, Golden Grove, Heritage Winery and Granite Ridge. Ticket price is $50 per head and includes morning tea, lunch, coach travel and wine tasting”.

Book your tickets today on 4633 3014 the Bus will be leaving the Hospice about 7.30am and back approximately 7pm, there will be a pick ups from K-mart and Clifton tickets are limited!

Promotions and Fundraising Manager Mr. Mark Munro said this is Christine’s’ 7th year in organizing the annual Hospice Winery tour Christine does a fantastic job in running and co-ordinating this fundraiser for the Hospice, Christine has raised just over $10,000.00 for the Hospice with these trips and that’s a wonderful effort from someone who does it on their own!”

Toowoomba Hospice is a not-for-profit, community facility, caring for people with a terminal illness and their families, at no cost. The Hospice is located in O’Quinn Street and needs to raise valuable funds to keep the service running.

Mark Munro, Promotions and Fundraising Manager has also forwarded images of pea sized which fell in the grounds at O’Quinn Street, Toowoomba from the first hailstorm of the season on Tuesday afternoon l3th October.

HMAS Toowoomba has successfully thwarted a piracy attack by answering a call for assistance and conducting a boarding of a suspect vessel, 50 miles off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden.
Late on Sunday night Australian time (September 20), Toowoomba responded to an emergency radio call from the Merchant Vessel BBC Portugal, which reported sighting a boat carrying a group of armed individuals closing at high speed.

Under the command of Commander Ivan Ingham, Toowoomba immediately responded to the developing situation by moving to the scene at high speed to investigate and provide assistance.
While Toowoomba closed in, a coalition P3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and a naval helicopter from another coalition warship joined the scene and provided surveillance of the suspect vessel.
The helicopter crew confirmed sighting weapons and also reported that the crew of the suspect vessel was seen disposing of several items including a ladder as the helicopter arrived at the scene,” Commander Ingham said.

On reaching the suspect vessel, Toowoomba launched her boarding team to investigate, search, disarm and seize. The quick response by HMAS Toowoomba and the coalition helicopter ensured that the incident did not escalate into a direct attack on the merchant vessel. Further, the ship’s presence in very close proximity to the scene ensured that the persons suspected of planning acts of piracy were not able to resist the arrival of our boarding party and ensured that our teams were able to conduct a thorough and effective search,” Commander Ingham said.
The search of the suspect vessel revealed a cache of weapons including a Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher (RPG), six AK47 Assault Rifles, a G3 Assault Rifle and a large quantity of ammunition.

Routine questioning of the persons suspected of planning acts of piracy by Toowoomba’s boarding party confirmed that the occupants of the suspect vessel were from nearby Somalia. The occupants denied their intention to attack the merchant vessel and denied planning piracy activities.
Toowoomba’s personnel confirmed the suspect vessel had sufficient food, water and fuel to make the return journey back to Somalia,” Commander Ingham said.

HMAS Toowoomba is now continuing with counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden region.