Butt what if you could support those affected in the Narromine Shire with cancer?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Narromine’s Susannah Tuck is the driving force behind the ‘butt drive’, which encourages cotton growers to donate their ‘butts’ (small, left over modules of cotton) with proceeds going to the Narromine Cancer Support Group (NCSG).
Also a breast cancer survivor, Mrs Tuck and her husband Rob saw the potential to raise extra money for the Cancer Support Group.
“Hearing what they do and … knowing that it's just getting harder and harder to source funds. Rob and I were just talking about it one weekend that we used to do sheep and wool drives, why not a small 'butt drive',” Mrs Tuck said.
“It’s not a full one and that’s why I thought its not a huge amount and people might not miss them.”
“Treatment’s expensive, if you've got to drive to Orange for treatment, accommodation, if you've got kids you've got to find care and the little things that aren’t covered … the little bit helps and to know that someones thinking of them.”
The NCSG is an organisation that supports people in the Narromine shire who receive a cancer diagnosis.
NCSG president Judy Barlow said all money raised by the organisation or the community stays within the shire to support those who need help financially and to help with equipment people might need when recuperating.
“Cancer’s a really big problem, and to try and lessen the pain a bit of financial support is the least we can do,” Ms Barlow said.
“We support people in the shire who receive a cancer diagnosis and have to leave the shire for treatment, whether it be to Dubbo for some form of Chemotherapy or surgery, or whether it be to Orange, Wagga, or Newcastle.”
“We have also used the money over the years to acquire quite a lot of equipment from hospital beds, walkers, toilet chairs, shower chairs, we’ve bought a couple of oxygen machines that are currently in the hospital.”
“If it's not being used by cancer patients, then it is actually lent to anyone in the community who needs it. It works well, it really does work well.”
Ms Barlow said the group is very grateful for the support they have received from everyone in the shire, especially for Mrs Tuck’s initiative, which helps ensure funds are continually raised to help people within the shire.
Maquarie, Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Valley’s, Namoi Cotton Area manager Kylie Edwards said the drive is a “fantastic idea” and had no hesitation in supporting it.
“Its a beautiful thing for growers to be able to give back in some small way,” Ms Edwards said.
“I lost my dad to bowel cancer and my mother had breast cancer twice all in the same year, so I completely understand the struggles that those affected are going through. It’s a fantastic idea from Susannah and Namoi is very happy to get on board and support this.”
“It's really sad if you think about it these days you don't have to look very far outside of your personal circle to know someone whose been affected by cancer so it's a fantastic initiative to give back to those people who have been hit with that horrible news that you are not well and will have to seek treatment.”
Ms Edwards is encouraging growers to donate their butts for the cause. “If growers would like to donate their 'butts', big butts, little butts, I don’t care, I’ll take all your butts, you’re most welcome to contact me,” she said.
“These bails are special bails so if merchants would like to kick in a little bit of extra money to pay for them that would also be fantastic because it is going to a great cause.”
All butts will be ginned under Namoi Cotton and tendered off the bale pad to the merchant with the best price. Proceeds will be donated on behalf of the growers and Namoi Cotton to the NCSG.
For more information, or if you would like to donate contact Kylie Edwards at Namoi Cotton on 0429 092 902.