Rotary’s relocation from Tenterfield Station to Steinbrook Hall for this year’s Jazzy Party has been hailed as logistical success, with the hall providing the ideal ambiance for a jazz in the bush-type event, according to club president Keith Butler.
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The event was not quite a sell-out but the result was a comfortably-full hall, with local wineries Kurrajong Downs Wines, Splitters Swamp Vineyard and Zappa Wines joining Brass Monkey Brew House and Sustainable Plate on the verandah. The Sommerlads again donated their heritage chickens for the main meal, which joined hams, roast beef and a fantastic array of salads, Mr Butler said, all catered by Rotary volunteers. He was a particular fan of the chicken/mango salad.
Proceeds from the day will go towards purchasing Shelter Boxes, providing temporary accommodation and household goods to families facing natural and manmade disasters. Mr Butler said the kit provides everything for a family of up to 10 to maintain a household (apart from food), and can provide a roof over their heads for up to two years.
A Shelter Box was set up at Steinbrook Hall for supporters to see exactly where their money is going. The dual-skinned tent circulates air to provide a comfortable living environment, and being inside the tent proved cooler than standing in the shade at Steinbrook.
The proceeds from the party have yet to be tallied but Mr Butler hopes they will fund at least three Shelter Boxes, each costing around $1200. Rotary stockpiles Shelter Boxes around the world in strategic locations, with stock recently deployed to disaster zones in Haiti, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Raffles of accommodation packages – not in Shelter Boxes but at Coffs Harbour and at The Gatehouse on Bolivia Hill – contributed another $600 to the jazzy party pot, and feedback from the event has been very positive. With many varieties of jazz band around, Mr Butler felt The Essential Collective from Lismore was the ideal choice for this audience.
Mr Butler said the jazz party will be back again next year, and probably again at Steinbrook Hall given the great outcome.