HAWKESBURY'S SHOE BOXES OF LOVE
16-February-2011
Louise Markus MP, Federal Member for Macquarie, today applauded the efforts of local resident Toni Walker and her team for their Hawkesbury Shoe Boxes of Love campaign which was aimed at helping the victims of the Queensland floods.
“Toni did an outstanding job in co-ordinating the Hawkesbury Shoe Boxes of Love effort which saw over 130 people involved during the two week campaign, and I was very happy to have been able to play a role in such a worthwhile cause,” Louise Markus said.
In the Hawkesbury people helped out by going down to the shops and buying items that would be appreciated by those living in the flood-ravaged areas of QLD. They then found an empty shoebox, in many cases wrapping and decorating the shoe box and then dropped it in at one of the 2 drop off points - Hawkesbury Community College and Louise Markus’s office in Windsor.
Over 300 boxes were collected from the Hawkesbury in just 2 weeks from the start of our project.
“We received great support from Louise Markus who allowed us to use her Windsor Office as a drop off point and also organised the transport of the boxes by Charter Refrigerated Transport to Queensland.
Hawkesbury Self Storage in South Windsor donated the packing boxes for transport and UWS Hawkesbury gave us the use of a van and driver to get the boxes to Charter Refrigerated Transport,” said Toni Walker.
“Karen Lennox and Kim Wesble helped sort and pack the boxes ready for transport. Coates Hire in Queensland donated a covered trailer to assist in the transport of the boxes by Charter Refrigerated Transport to Brisbane. It was a real team effort all round,” Toni Walker added.
“Australia is a nation with a big heart, and the people of the Hawkesbury are no strangers to natural disasters and the efforts of the Hawkesbury Shoe Boxes of Love group have again shown the willingness of Australians to help their mates in their time of need,” Louise Markus said.
“I was pleased my office could be utilised as a drop off point and also thank Robert and Paul Campbell from Charter Refrigerated transport for helping get the shoeboxes to Queensland.
It will be a long road to recovery, but it is in times like these that the Australian spirit of those involved in the Shoebox for Love campaign that inspires us to action,” Louise Markus said.