12 February 2009

More bushfire stuff

| johnboy
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Earlier in the week we had a lengthy look at things being done in the ACT to help the Victorian bushfire appeal.

Here’s a look at a few more that have come to our attention.

1. Coles donating profits tomorrow (Friday). Be a little wary when the profits are being offered rather than the takings. If you were probably going to shop at Coles anyway then doing it on Friday is a better day than most. But for a high turnover, low margin, business like a supermarket not much of your spend will actually end up helping in Victoria.

2. If praying is your thing there’s a “Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Victims of Fire” at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Manuka at 1pm today.

3. Trevar sent in the following note from Canberra Rep:

    An Opportunity to Help

    The Preview Night for Canberra Repertory’s first production of 2009, I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick, will be a fundraiser for the Victorian Bushfire appeal. Rep will donate all the ticket takings (less booking fees) from the 19 February performance to the appeal.

    If you wish to attend for this performance please Book your tickets by calling 6257 1950, Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm.

    Tickets will also be available on the night of performance from 7pm – show starts at 8pm

    All Tickets $27 — If you wish to donate more at the time we will also pass that on.

(Note they are donating takings, not profits, this is vastly more generous)

4. The ABC reports that ACT farmers are sending fodder to fire afflicted farmers. 7 truckloads are planned.

5. But if helping (rather than just making yourself feel good) is the plan then the best thing you can do is give cold hard cash to the official Victorian Bushfire Appeal 2009.

6. ActewAGL has announced that their conglomerate is chipping in $100,000.

7. Local MacDonalds have announced a seriously generous contribution of sales on Monday. With 20% of takings between 5pm and 8pm to be matched 2 for 1 for an effective 60% of takings (for arcane tax reasons one can only imagine).

8. The local RSPCA has announced the dispatch of two of their rescue vehicle to the South with the following note:

    At midday today at the RSPCA at Weston (Kirkpatrick St) the two rescue vehicles known as ARKS will be despatched to Victoria to render assistance to companion, production and wild animals.

    The vehicles will be loaded with supplies for specific wildlife care arranged through RSPCA ACT and its wildlife caring network.

If you’ve heard of more local offers and deals for the charity drive send them in to john@the-riotact.com .

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This Friday at the Basement in Belconnen local band ‘Boundless’ and a few others are having a bushfire gig, with the $15 cover charge per person being donated to the bushfire appeal.
8pm start

Or at the very least, one of them could wander ’round the floor collecting change, then take it in to the red cross.

bd84 said :

It’s becoming a bit overkill now.. as bad as the news bulletins trying to interview every single person they can find in the street.

What has become overkill and quite embarrassing is Parliament suspending question time everyday this week, so members could make statements of condolence. So we had the PM, the Dep PM, the Leader of Opposition, Dep Leader of the Ops and Leader or the Nats making statements every day about how terrible it was for four days straight. Then every member who could justify it doing the same thing, over and over. With each of them trying to outdo each other.

I could understand one day of Parliamentary condolences..but four?.. How about they actually get on with their job, which might actually help people in the fire devastated regions instead of their self indulgent, “Our side of the house is so much more sadder than your side” rhetoric.

bd84 said :

It’s becoming a bit overkill now.. as bad as the news bulletins trying to interview every single person they can find in the street.

I’m with you bd84. It’s very sad and all, but jeez the media love a bushfire. They all try and out do each other for ratings.

I would say most people who are going to donate money have by now.

It’s becoming a bit overkill now.. as bad as the news bulletins trying to interview every single person they can find in the street.

Fiona said :

Think I’ll just stick with donating to red cross directly.

I have weird and wonderous memories of telethons as a child… the overnight ones that raised money to build hospitals, dancing mini ballerinas and big dog.

I’m with you, Fiona.

And my god, big up to the Red Cross woman on the line when I rang yesterday. What a sense of humour — I mean actually drop dead funny — until she actually patched me through to donation girl and it all got a bit more mundane (which is fine; no law that says I have to be entertained while donating my cash). For charities, I’ll get over my, ‘What was (sic) your name? What was (sic) your credit card name? What was (sic) your address?’ If they’re donating their time as I suspect they are, I’ll leave my ‘Basic English for CSRs and phone jockeys’ to some other day and someone who’s being paid to be correct.

Good on the commercial networks if they raise a shipload, but I’ll avoid like the plague. Has the potential to be so cringe-worthy as to do damage to one’s own internal organs.

I’m glad that Ch9/WIN will help out by collecting some money from people that can be talked into helping. I seriously doubt I will be watching the show however.

Think I’ll just stick with donating to red cross directly.

I have weird and wonderous memories of telethons as a child… the overnight ones that raised money to build hospitals, dancing mini ballerinas and big dog.

I note Channel Nine/WIN are holding a telethon tonight from 7:30PM. They should announce during the opening speech that “iffy” donations will not be accepted – all money should be pledged unconditional without strings. By “iffy” donations I mean those people who say “I’ll donate $20.00 if the host kisses one of the panellists” or “I’ll donate $20.00 if the host does ten pushups”. I find this sort of thing to be the bane of telethons and let’s hope the seriousness of the situation this time will mean we won’t have to put up with it.

If I have to go to a supermarket anyway, better to go to one that donates to charity than not.

As for Brindabella Baby, 20% is the average markup. I had to pluck a number, so that was it. Much easier to just say a % off the sales than try to work out what my profit margin was for the month and donate that. Better to donate over a whole month’s sales than just one day. And the people who’ve already spent their money this month will have contributed in a roundabout way.

tylersmayhem1:20 pm 12 Feb 09

Actually, i think the last one Coles did, or was it Woolworths, for the drought for the farmers, on a Thursday – raised 11 million. Hardly chump change !

Indeed.

But the idea that your personal $100 spend represents significant money to bushfire recovery is where I have the problem.

It just yet another way for people to contribute to what could be a collective several million JB. It’s a little more realistic for most families in the current economical climate to contribute in this way, rather than spend their weekly grocery money. It’s just plain facts.

Mr Evil said :

I think we should donate Steve Pratt – because he’s good at cleaning things up.

Laugh? Well, not out loud, but a dirty big smile. Great idea.

I think we should donate Steve Pratt – because he’s good at cleaning things up.

better to give a little bit (times numbers of customers), than to not give at all.

Coles are being charitable.

+1 to Coles.

Agreed there’s some big money overall from these days.

But the idea that your personal $100 spend represents significant money to bushfire recovery is where I have the problem.

supermarket profits are around 4% so for a largish coles the donation would be around 5 to 10 grand per store which is hardly chump change

In DIY Wotz on guide, but worth repeating here: concert in middle of Civic held by 666 ABC-FM from 12-2pm Saturday.

emd said :

Brindabella Baby is donating 20% of all sales for February (including sales already made) to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Sales, not profits.

who is brindabella baby? not heard of that one…

Woody Mann-Caruso10:17 am 12 Feb 09

Unless your profit margin is 20%, in which case it’s the same thing. Or your margin is more than 20%, in which case it’s worse 😉

Brindabella Baby is donating 20% of all sales for February (including sales already made) to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Sales, not profits.

Actually, i think the last one Coles did, or was it Woolworths, for the drought for the farmers, on a Thursday – raised 11 million. Hardly chump change !

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