Sunshine, bacon and egg rolls, hot coffee and vintage tractors and cars were all on offer on Saturday morning at the Canowindra Tyre Service for the annual fundraiser for the Central West Tractor Trek Group. Alison and Tom Stephens were on hand cooking up a storm, selling raffle tickets and speaking with people about what Little Wings the new chosen charity for the Tractor Trek Group is all about.
Little Wings was established in 2012 and has provided over 1,100 flights, transporting more than 2,600 passengers from the bush to the city for medical treatment. Little Wings is a not-for-profit organisation, whose aim is to support families to reduce the financial burden, emotional strain and travel fatigue experienced when a child is unwell.
Little Wings has been helping families in the Central West by providing 8 flights from Bathurst, 25 from Cowra, 122 from Dubbo, 18 from Forbes, 33 from Narromine, 62 from Orange and 3 from Wellington since starting. The Tractor Trek Group, a charity run completely by volunteers, is on a mission to raise $50,000 this year, which will provide 35 free flights to families in the Central West. “It is very rewarding, it’s just great to see that we can help families and their children,” said Tractor Trek member Roy White.
On Saturday the MidWest Historic Motor Club Inc also came along to the breakfast showcasing half a dozen vintage cars. Phyllis Bryant’s (a member of the Motor Club) daughter Sally Farley from Newcastle had made three queen size quilts to be raffled off and a smaller quilt for the children to use on the Little Wings plane.
This year the Tractor Trek event will be visiting Orange, Cargo, Cudal, Lake Canobolas, Forest Reefs and Millthorpe during September.
There will also be an official dinner on Saturday the 23rd September, at the Orange City Bowling Club. Everyone is welcome to come along to the event, which will include an auction to help raise more money for Little Wings.