A WinterWarmer raffle conducted by the Canton Beach Women’s Bowling Club raised $1,000 which has been passed on to the Shirley Shuttle.
Club President Margaret Dixon said the community transport service was their main recipient of fundraising because it supported so many people who needed a helping hand.
The idea for the Shirley Shuttle service began when the founder Barbara Galvin was looking after her Mum who had cancer.
“She found it very hard to get her Mum to and from cancer treatment and that was before other community transport which is now available,” Margaret said.
Barbara Galvin donated a mini-bus to the Cancer Council after her mother died of cancer in 2006 and the Shirley Shuttle service began, providing transport for cancer patients to attend treatment centres and appointments.
Now there are four Shirley Shuttle vehicles providing more than 10,000 trips every year to Central Coast residents undergoing cancer treatment, through Community Transport Central Coast and Coast Connect.
The service is manned by volunteer drivers and with support from Central Coast Health as well as fundraising by local groups such as Canton Beach Women’s Bowling Club it helps to support maintenance and onroad costs associated with the vehicles.
“So many of our members know people who use this important service so fundraising for this worthy cause is close to us,” Margaret said.
“Donations for our fundraising raffle were received from the club ladies, The Sausage Man, Deb’s Café, Mulligan’s Barber, The Tone Bar and The Incense & Soap Lady, all of Toukley.
“These helped to make up 25 baskets of pantry goods, vouchers and warm accessories which were popular prizes in our raffle,” Margaret said.
Canton Beach Women’s Bowling Club has been a fixture on the sporting calendar for 66 years, playing social and championship bowls at the Canton Beach Sports Club in Hibbard St.
“We have about 50 members who bowl on Tuesdays, some of them are long-timers who don’t bowl anymore but still come along for lunch and the social get-together,” Margaret said.
“We’re always happy to welcome new people and offer coaching to newcomers, too,” she said.
Sue Murray