The treatment of terminally ill people on the Sunshine Coast was given a R40000 boost yesterday at a cattle auction when a kind-hearted farmer paid an inflated price for a young stud bull – and the auctioneer chipped in another R5000.
The money was raised for the Sunshine Coast Hospice after five local Bonsmara breeders donated the artificially inseminated, 630kg beast – known simply as bull number DAJ1349 – for auction in Grahamstown, and Hobson and Co auctioneers waived their commission.
Although not the top bull on sale at the auction – which was sold for R105000 – DAJ1349 raised more than double the R20000 estimate.
Excited Sunshine Coast Hospice fundraiser Karen Long yesterday said the money would go a long way to help ease the plight of 550 sick and poor people from Alexandria to Alicedale, Grahamstown and the Sunshine Coast.
“I am overwhelmed. I did not expect this response,” she admitted.
“We are planning to use the money to help buy a new vehicle as ours is in dire need of replacement.”
Long said a small team of dedicated people tried to improve sick people’s quality of life in their last days.
“The services that we offer to the community ensures that we are able to reach people made vulnerable to disease and illness by poverty and other socio-geographical factors.”
She said while the free service did not discriminate on race, gender or illness, “unpredictable” government funding and frequent delays in getting the funds meant they relied heavily on public support.
Hospice chair and nurse Zelda Elliott, who is married to a local farmer and has been with the organisation for 18 years, said they only get involved in helping with support and care of sick people if they were invited by the family.
Services also include pain and symptom control.
Frontier Bonsmara Group member Justin Stirk said hospice made a huge impact locally.
“We all sometimes experience the wonderful work that hospice do for the sick and bereaved.
“We felt that by donating to Sunshine Coast Hospice our supporters would benefit in some way from this donation.
He said five farmers of the local Bonsmara Group – Peter and Brett Knott, Craig Handley, Darryl Fetting , JJ Park and himself – had jointly paid for the bull to be donated.
Hundreds of buyers from the province and beyond collectively paid more than R1-million for the 65 Bonsmara bulls and 165 commercial beef females that were sold.
Well-known game and cattle auctioneer Brendan Lear donated a further R5000 to the R34000 the Craig Park Trading Trust paid for the animal after his hammer fell and another farmer also donated a R1000.
Long said it was hoped more money would come in last night after the sale when farmers got together for a braai. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Hospice hits ‘bull’s eye’ at auction
The money was raised for the Sunshine Coast Hospice after five local Bonsmara breeders donated the artificially inseminated, 630kg beast – known simply as bull number DAJ1349 – for auction in Grahamstown, and Hobson and Co auctioneers waived their commission.
Although not the top bull on sale at the auction – which was sold for R105000 – DAJ1349 raised more than double the R20000 estimate.
Excited Sunshine Coast Hospice fundraiser Karen Long yesterday said the money would go a long way to help ease the plight of 550 sick and poor people from Alexandria to Alicedale, Grahamstown and the Sunshine Coast.
“I am overwhelmed. I did not expect this response,” she admitted.
“We are planning to use the money to help buy a new vehicle as ours is in dire need of replacement.”
Long said a small team of dedicated people tried to improve sick people’s quality of life in their last days.
“The services that we offer to the community ensures that we are able to reach people made vulnerable to disease and illness by poverty and other socio-geographical factors.”
She said while the free service did not discriminate on race, gender or illness, “unpredictable” government funding and frequent delays in getting the funds meant they relied heavily on public support.
Hospice chair and nurse Zelda Elliott, who is married to a local farmer and has been with the organisation for 18 years, said they only get involved in helping with support and care of sick people if they were invited by the family.
Services also include pain and symptom control.
Frontier Bonsmara Group member Justin Stirk said hospice made a huge impact locally.
“We all sometimes experience the wonderful work that hospice do for the sick and bereaved.
“We felt that by donating to Sunshine Coast Hospice our supporters would benefit in some way from this donation.
He said five farmers of the local Bonsmara Group – Peter and Brett Knott, Craig Handley, Darryl Fetting , JJ Park and himself – had jointly paid for the bull to be donated.
Hundreds of buyers from the province and beyond collectively paid more than R1-million for the 65 Bonsmara bulls and 165 commercial beef females that were sold.
Well-known game and cattle auctioneer Brendan Lear donated a further R5000 to the R34000 the Craig Park Trading Trust paid for the animal after his hammer fell and another farmer also donated a R1000.
Long said it was hoped more money would come in last night after the sale when farmers got together for a braai. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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