On Wednesday August 15, I received a phone call from a lady ‘out west’ who was very distressed and nervous. From my time at Lifeline as a suicide counsellor, I believe she was very distressed, and probably suicidal. If not suicidal, she was in a very bad way.

She very timidly asked if we, Rotary, could give her one bale of hay. She told me her husband asked her not to ring us, but she felt she had no other choice. I assured her we could, and would, help her. I decided to make a ‘Captain's call.’

I purchased the last two bales of hay in town, then rang a fellow Rotarian and asked if he could deliver them for me. This required a round trip of around seven hours.

It was no problem, my friend said. Without a second thought, my friend donated a large round bale of hay, some cattle pellets, and a few other things and set out.

As he was nearing the town, he rang the lady and said he was nearly there, and to put the kettle on for a cup of coffee. The woman replied: “If you want coffee, you'd better bring some. We haven't had any for three weeks."

My friend rang me later to say that the woman and her husband were absolutely thrilled, yet still embarrassed. In a matter of two days, they had gone from abject depression, to ecstatic joy, and all because of a few bales of hay, and the realisation that others really care.

With the money this Rotary District has raised, I am about to release to the various Rotary clubs in the drought area much-needed funds, which I know will duplicate this story many fold.

I am so very proud of my club members, my RAWCS team, and the fact that I am a Rotarian.

Reg Pierce 

President of Wauchope Rotary, Chairman of RAWCS D9650