By KATH GANNAWAY
EIGHT local fire brigades and the Upper Yarra SES are the most recent organisations to benefit from the Upper Yarra Community Market.
Brigade and SES representatives were each presented with a cheque for $1000 by market committee president Pam Jagger at the market on Sunday 14 June.
The market committee runs a market on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, with stallholder fees going into a fund to help local organisations.
Treasurer Adele Paisley said other groups that had benefited in the past included local primary schools and Ben’s Shed.
Yarra Junction CFA captain Steve Drennan thanked the market committee on behalf of all the brigades and the SES.
“This sort of donation is a great support,” Captain Drennan said.
“We are always looking to buy new gear and make sure we have what we need on the trucks.
“We hold a sausage sizzle at the market, but it would take quite a few months for us to raise this amount of money, and I know it helps all the other brigades who are always facing the need to replace equipment as well.
“When every brigade gets $1000, it comes in really handy and we very much appreciate what the market does.”
Ms Paisley said it was wonderful to be able to present the cheques at the market where the stallholders could see where their money was going, and members of the community could see how their support of the markets went back into the community.
