THE region's Ronald McDonald House charity is gearing up for its biggest fundraiser of the year.
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The eighth annual Country Under The Vines event features a star-studded line up of music acts including Jetty Road and Catherine Britt, with all proceeds going to the charity.
New England-North West Ronald McDonald House community engagement co-ordinatior Rebecca Barry said the event was a vital part of supporting regional families.
"We're 100 per cent community owned and operated and we rely on the community to help keep families close to their sick children," Mrs Barry said.
"Our volunteers are amazing people who offer their help at no cost, but still we have bills to pay to ensure we can keep families together.
"This year, we are aiming to provide 220 nights of accommodation to local families from the funds we raise at this event.
"We're really looking to make this year's event a special event and hope that a big crowd comes along."
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As well as a day of music, the event will also host raffles, auctions and collection buckets.
"It's a great line up this year," Mrs Barry said.
"The music will be fantastic, but the charity auction looks set to be really special.
"We've got some signed memorabilia from Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Olivia Newton-John and Travis Collins.
"It's been a lot of fun organising the artists, who have been so generous in donating their time and talents."
Mrs Barry said families from across the New England and North West regions would benefit from the fundraiser.
"In 2019 our biggest provider of families was Narrabri, closely followed by Moree and Wee Waa," she said.
"We get families coming from places like Come By Chance, Inverell, Armidale, Quirindi and Gunnedah - really we have families coming from everywhere to come and stay with us.
"Very frequently, our Tamworth families will stay in our Newcastle house.
"So while this is a Tamworth-based event, it will benefit families from right across the region."
Mrs Barry said Funds raised during the event will go towards insuring families "have everything they need" for visits to Tamworth house.
"I think a lot of people seem to overlook that when one member of the family is sick, it affects everyone in that family," she said.
"What we offer is a place for families to be together while they deal with their medical situations without the worry of being separated during a tough time.
"Hopefully this event can be an amazing success and we can continue to support local families when they need it."
- Country Under The Vines begins at the Longyard Hotel from 11.30am on January 19 and tickets are available at the door or at tickets.oztix.com.au
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
