Byron bar and restaurant Loft Byron Bay asked the locals, like myself, in their Friends of Loft group to nominate someone who did it tough during the flood, or who has gone above and beyond to help the community, to go in the draw for one of five x $200 vouchers to use at Loft. I nominated a local electrician who not only rescued people in a boat from floodwaters, but also turned up for the whole of the first week to help people when they really needed it.
Countless tradies turned up – just like that – many with their partners. With their skills and experience, they were much more effective than (dare I say it) a 56 year old accounts clerks like myself; whether patching in power points, cutting walls, demolishing cupboards or just turning up with a pressure cleaner, you could see those people making a huge difference to the somewhat dazed flood victims in that first week.
Stone & Wood set up a foundation several years ago to donate funds to local not-for-profits, and it’s donated about $290,000 through its Large Grants program. The brewer was taken over by Lion last year, but the foundation survived, and grew larger owing to the sale. Good on the new owners for keeping up the good work; it’s set to donate more this year than ever before (see article page 8).
Mullumbimby company Puremelt Chocolate got a bit flooded at the industrial estate, but when their freezer conked out they managed to get those chocolates down to the Mullum Hub straight away. But the flood experience, the worst in owner Sarah Wheeler’s 30 years in NSW, led her to donate 30 per cent of their June quarter profits to NSW flood relief. So, whether you buy drinking chocolate, lovebites or any of their products online or at the markets, from now and over Easter to the end of June a portion of your sale will go to a good cause.
