By JESSE GRAHAM
TWO Yarra Glen students will be sent to a summer camp by the beach after another generous donation from the Yarra Glen Grand Hotel last week.
Grand Hotel owner Craig Barnett met with Yarra Glen RSL Sub-Branch president Ted Bowling and secretary Ed Bartosh last week to donate $1000 to the group.
Mr Bartosh said that half of the money would be used to send two local disadvantaged students to an annual Portsea summer camp in January.
“The RSL has a week in January where they give a number of slots, and then sub-branches around Victoria nominate kids to go and have a week, where they would not have a chance to go to a seaside summer camp,” he said.
“So, it’s a really good chance to do that.”
The remainder of the money will go to veterans’ welfare funds – one through the Yarra Glen branch, and another that can be accessed by RSLs around the state.
Mr Bartosh said the fund helped veterans, widows, and their families, when in need of financial assistance for transport or bills.
He thanked Mr Barnett for the donation, and said it was “unexpected”, but a welcome surprise.
“We wouldn’t have had this kind of money otherwise – we have really not a lot of ways that we get money within the sub-branch,” he said.
“I’d just like to thank Craig, the Grand and especially the patrons of the Grand for their Friday night raffle that made this possible.”
The donation is the latest in a series of donations made by the hotel, which raises money during its Friday night meat raffles and members draw, with the funds donated to community groups when the pool of raised money reaches $1000.
Previous recipients include the Yarra Glen CFA and Yarra Glen Primary School.
The raffles are held between 6-7pm on Friday nights.
For more information, visit www.yarravalleygrand.com.au or call 9730 1230.
