CFA cash splash

By Casey Neill
The group presented the Ferntree Gully and Upper Ferntree Gully fire brigades with $13,983.55 each last Tuesday (5 May) night.
Past president Fran Mandergeddes said their previous highest donation was $16,000 between the teams.
Rotary volunteers spent their weekend collecting the cash at the corner of Burwood Highway and Dawson Street on 28 February and 1 March.
“It’s our major fund-raiser for the CFA every year,” Ms Mandergeddes said.
“It’s one we take great pride in.”
But this year they took to the task with a different sense of purpose.
“It was our time to contribute, to give back to those wonderful volunteers, in a futile attempt to somehow thank them for their contribution to our society,” Ms Mandergeddes said.
“People love the CFA. We had people throwing money at us.”
She said the crews’ contribution to battling this summer’s blazes could not be underestimated.
“The CFA never gave up, nor did they give in, in spite of the enormous odds working against them,” she said.
“The dedication of the volunteers who willingly put themselves into danger for others is very humbling.”
The group will hold the fund-raiser each February.
“We look forward to more support down the track,” Ms Mandergeddes said.
Upper Ferntree Gully brigade captain Peter Smith said his team would use the funds to purchase and deck out a new slip-on vehicle.
“Our appreciation and thankyou to you guys is unbelievable for what you’ve done, and you go out and do it every year without any huff and puff,” he said.
Ferntree Gully brigade captain Toddy Small echoed the thankyou.
“For you guys to go out there and spend two days standing in the diesel fumes out there to raise this amount of money for us – which would take us a million scone drives – we really, really do appreciate it,” he said.
His brigade will put the money towards a new vehicle or a station water recycling program.
“We can do on-station training and not wash water down the drain,” Mr Small said.