Five farmers in Molong have shared a donation of 73 bales of hay to help them through drought thanks to funds raised through the Newcrest Orange Challenge.
The Bicycle Network event raised $3620 for Buy a Bale, a disaster and drought relief initiative by Rural Aid which currently has operations supporting the greater Orange region.
Rural Aid provides holistic support to rural Australia through several subsidiaries such as Buy a Bale, to help communities survive drought or recover from natural disasters such as fires and floods.
A Rural Aid spokesperson said that the delivery has had a real impact on the farmers and their families.
“They have gone through so much in recent years experiencing the impact of significant weather conditions and receiving this hay has given momentary relief from their ongoing harsh circumstances.”
General Manager of Events, Rebecca Lane, said that although the 2020 event was unfortunately postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bicycle Network was able to donated the money raised.
“Newcrest Orange Challenge gives a boost to the Central West’s local economy each year so we are devastated that this years event had to be cancelled,” said Ms Lane.
“We are very pleased to be able to give back to the community through the fantastic Buy a Bale initiative and draw attention to the drought that they are experiencing.”
Participants could add a little extra to their ticket cost to help the area where the event is held each year.
“We’d like to thank all the participants who contributed to the donation and an extra thanks to the all those who have held onto their ticket for next years event. We can’t wait to see you back,” said Ms Lane.
Newcrest Orange Challenge is a fully supported Bicycle Network event and will be back in 2021.
You can register your interest for the 2021 event here.
