Infamous Tamworth Santa Pub Crawl goes on, but with a few adjustments

Organiser Phil Knight said the important fundraiser would still go ahead.

But instead of a one-day massive all-in crawl, the Rotary Club of Tamworth First Light plans to encourage individuals to organise their own events over much of December.

"Obviously this year we can't do a pub crawl, so obviously it's not going to make as much money," he said.

Participants will still get an opportunity to get on their Santa costumes, he said.

Individuals should buy tickets for their own groups of less than ten, then go on a group mini-crawl around the event's five venues.

"That way there's not 1200 people turning up for a pub crawl. [That will] keep the whole thing COVID-safe but still raise a bit of money."

In its thirteen years, the event has gone from strength to strength. Mr Knight said it was almost getting too big for its boots.

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He said last year's event was already getting "a bit crazy" and the club would likely have had to make some changes even without the virus.

"The previous event was enormous, last year. There must have been close to 2000 people. The venues were sort of overrun, it was really sort of getting too big.

"If it hadn't been for COVID, we probably would have had a shotgun start at all the venues rather than starting at one and moving on and so on. The logistics were just getting too big. COVID may have been a blessing in disguise."

The 2019 crawl raised a vast $22,000 for Ronald McDonald House, which helps house families of sick children getting care at Tamworth hospital, he said.

They're hoping to raise just a fraction of that this year, selling about 500 $15 tickets.

But Tamworth Ronald McDonald House Manager Rhiannon Curtis said every little bit counts.

"Without [private donations] we wouldn't be operating. Whilst we are very fortunate to be able to receive a little bit of support from McDonalds and our local licencees, it's only 12 to 15 per cent of what we need to operate," she said.

"For the most part we're a community-funded operation.

"That means the families only have to think about getting their kids well enough to be home again, they don't have to worry about where they're going to be staying, what they're going to eat, their laundry."

Tickets are on sale now, but venues likely won't see people for a week - it will take time to mail them.

Last tickets will be sold on December 16, and the event will run until December 21. The Rotary Club will draw prizes towards the end of the month.

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