THE Noosa community has once again shown how generous and kind it can be to people in need, with local clubs banding together to raise $25,000 for a local family.
Almost a year ago, local mum Petra Geitl launched a fund-raising campaign to buy a wheelchair friendly car for her son Jack, 9, who has cerebral palsy.
Numerous community groups came together to help raise the funds needed to buy the vehicle; Smile for a Child donated $5000 from their charity golf day and art union, Frangipani Dreams donated $5000, Noosa Heads Surf Club and the Floral Shirt Brigade donated $6500, a cruise hosted by Noosa River and Canal Cruises raised $2400, and the Tewantin Noosa Lions Club donated $1500.
A number of private donors also helped Petra reach the $25,000 target and the Tewantin Noosa RSL Club added $5000 from their community benefit fund.
Tewantin Noosa RSL director Peter Elmslie said the fund-raising effort just showed what a great community Noosa was.
“We were really pleased to see how the community groups all came together and a big thankyou needs to go to all the organisations and the anonymous donors who made this a reality for Jack and Petra,” he said.
Petra said the new car, a Toyota Noah, had been “life-changing” for Jack because he could now get out into the community with his electric wheelchair.
“Now Jack’s electric wheelchair can be transported, the first thing he said was now he can go into school by himself like all the other kids,” Petra said.
“It really does give him so much more independence.”
