00:00Well, it's a real pleasure for us to be able to make a wonderful donation towards the radiation bus here in Bathurst.
00:07And I'm going to invite Paul Toole, who was the guest of honour at our wonderful event earlier in the year, to make that presentation.
00:15Well, thanks, Christopher. And just before I do, can I just say what a privilege it is to actually be here,
00:20but also to be able to stand here with members of the Bathurst Highland Society.
00:25This is a traditional event that we see take place each year.
00:29There were 17 debutantes on the night, and we had over 300 guests.
00:35And to be able to present a cheque of $5,000 for the radiation bus that goes from Bathurst to Orange
00:41is a credit to everybody that donated on the evening.
00:45So on behalf of the Highland Society, please accept this cheque.
00:48I'm so grateful to the Highland Society once again.
00:52They've given us a very generous $5,000.
00:54The radiation bus runs to Orange five days a week, 52 weeks of the year,
00:59taking people from Bathurst who need a radiation up to Orange, so they get their radiation.
01:05It's more than transport.
01:07It's a social group and a support group, and a lot of laughs happen on our radiation bus.
01:12Unfortunately, we don't get any government funding for the bus, so we rely completely on generous donations
01:20from our community.
01:21And we're so very lucky that the Highland Society and so many others support us,
01:25so we can help make every day a bit easier for people needing radiation treatment.
01:29The Bathurst Highland Society has existed on the Bathurst plan since the 1880s.
01:33And in the last 40 years or so, we've decided as a community group to stage a debutante's
01:42ball in Bathurst every year, which sounds like an archaic sort of thing, but it's really actually
01:47very popular, and it's a celebration of Scottish Highland heritage and culture and dance and
01:54music.
01:55And all of the proceeds from all of those events run by our volunteers for all of those
02:00years has been given to local charity.
02:02And in recent years, we've given the money we raise, the proceeds, to the radiation bus,
02:08which is such an important and compassionate service that helps people from Bathurst get
02:14up to Orange for radiation treatment.
02:17So we're very, very dedicated to that cause.
02:20We've raised an extraordinary amount of money, just gently, in the community over these 40 years.
02:25I think it's a quarter of a million dollars and rising.
02:28And just today, we're able to hand over $5,000 more to support the radiation bus, to buy petrol
02:36and to look after that bus and make sure that it works well.
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