A COMMUNITY group that helps provide essential education in driving safety to young people has received a boost out of the blue from an anonymous donor.
The Anthony and Travis Hall Driver Education Memorial Fund Awards are managed by the Upwey Fire Brigade and provide drivers from the hills with essential education in car control, valued at around $200.
On 17 March, an anonymous letter and donation was left in the Upwey Fire Brigade Letterbox, which contained $2000.
Organiser of the memorial fund Peter Hall said that the mysterious donation was an amazing shock.
“It’s taken me a while to come to terms with it,” he said.
“It’s just amazing that someone has been kind enough to do something like that.”
Fund convenor Peter Marke said the donation was the biggest non-corporate amount the group had received and Mr Hall said more courses could be offered.
“This is absolutely fantastic – we can get some extra younger ones through the course,” he said.
“We’re very pleased to receive it and everything helps – we have to do something about the road toll.
“There are just too many young ones being killed on the roads.”
The memorial fund invites Dandenong Ranges locals aged 18-21 to apply for a free Driver Education Course with Murcotts Driving Excellence.
Applicants must be on a probationary licence to apply.
“We’ve had some very good feedback from those that have done the course,” Mr Hall said.
“Some of them have said they’ve had to put the defensive driving into practice – if it wasn’t for that, they might have had a bad accident.”
The memorial fund was set up after Mr Hall’s two sons, 15-year-old Anthony and 13-year-old Travis, died in a 1995 car accident in Cockatoo.
For more information, or to apply for the memorial fund awards, call Dandenong Ranges Community Bank Group executive officer Melisa Hepworth on 9754 6540.
