Rotary raffle raises $90,000
By Aaron Cordy
BRINGING in the new year with a bang, the Rotary Club of Mooroopna (RCM) held their annual New Year’s Eve festival and gave away their 43rd car to lucky recipient Sue Cahill.
A humble and deserving winner of the Kia Stonic Sport, Sue who has worked for Shepparton Lifestyle Villages for over 20 years was in a state of disbelief when she learnt that her name was plucked from the thousands of tickets.
“It was quite surreal. It took a while to actually sink in, that this happened,” said Sue.
“My husband’s niece had one of her friends, that lives beside the reserve, ring her and say, ‘Is your mum’s name, Sue?’ Nicole said, ‘No, but my aunty is.’ ‘I think she’s just won a car.’
“I’d come home from Tricia’s [Sue’s neighbour] drinking wine, and my husband said, ‘I think you need to look at your phone, you might have some missed calls.’ And, lo and behold, I did. Richard [from Rotary] called twice. It was really quite surreal. It was like, this doesn’t happen, you know.”
While the news is still sinking in, Sue indicated the new Kia would aid in looking after her elderly mother.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank the Rotary Club of Mooroopna so much for coordinating this raffle. And as Richard said, there’s only one lucky winner, and I’m so fortunate to be that lucky winner. I’m glad that the money does do amazing things for Rotary,” said Sue.
“And also to Kia, yeah, and their contribution and their organising this car’s been amazing. We’ve had several phone calls to coordinate that. It was a surreal moment when I found out that I’ve actually won the car, and I got to speak to Richard on the night and confirm it, because sometimes you do think these things are scams, but it wasn’t. I feel very, very, very fortunate.”
It was the 43rd time the RCM gave away a car at their New Year’s Eve Festival, an amazing feat in itself, but it is the good they do with the money that makes buying a raffle ticket worthwhile.
With $90,000 raised through the car raffle, RCM president Richard Speedy know how much good they can do in the community and abroad, which he highlighted to Sue when handing over the keys.
“I know in your heart you thought you were just making a donation to a good cause. And a very good cause it is, because our club, we donate towards toilets in Cambodia, we donate Foodshare, we donate to hospice, we donate to a whole range of fabulous things. And we need that money to do it. And the reason we can do it is because people like you instantly make the donation through our car raffle, and ultimately, one person each year gets the keys,” said Richard as he handed over the keys to Sue brand-new Kia.
