Mandagery Mad Miles - Eugowra Flood Fundraiser

2022 has been a difficult year for many pockets of our country, with wet weather events at the centre of much of this heartache. But no community has been more devastated by these events than the little township of Eugowra, located ~ 35km east of Forbes on the Mandagery Creek. On Sunday, 13th November, more than 100mm of rainfall fell over a 6-hour period resulting in unprecedented flash flooding of the Mandagery Creek. In the ensuing hours, the town was hit by what locals described as a wall of water, a tsunami. Metres of water inundated most of the community – leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The extent of damage beggars belief, with the loss of homes & businesses tragically, not the extent of loss for some families. The aftermath was more representative of a war zone than a flood zone – homes destroyed, businesses ripped apart, community landmarks buried, livelihoods upended & families displaced. It was heartbreaking. What was not heartbreaking, however, in true rural community spirit was what took place in the subsequent days. The population of Eugowra swelled from less than 1,000 to north of 5,000, as droves of people came from all directions to support what would be the start of a long road to recovery. This flood took everything from the people of Eugowra, but it couldn’t squash its resilience & determination, nor that of the surrounding rural communities.

The efforts since November 13th are inspiring, yet for many families, there remains so much more to do. Critical infrastructure remains non-operational, people don’t have a home for Christmas, kids haven’t been able to go to school and with no sporting fields or equipment, this vital outlet for many during times of adversity, has also not been available. So, the friendly neighbouring town of Forbes, plus many others, are rallying to support. We are planning to walk from Forbes to Eugowra on the 23rd of December to raise much-needed funds to continue helping this community get back on its feet. Our goal is $50,000. We want as many people as possible to join the walk, and we greatly appreciate any donation people can find to support this worthy cause. All funds raised will go directly to the residents of Eugowra & surrounds to help in their rehabilitation efforts over the coming months.

Key details are below:

Date: Friday 23rd December

Time: Departing Forbes 5:30 am sharp, aiming to arrive in Eugowra mid to late afternoon (although some may still be going at Christmas…)

How to participate? Walk, Donate or ideally, both!! If you wish to join the walk, you must register your participation by emailing [email redacted]. Please include your shirt size in this email and your favourite pump-up tune.