Local organisations are throwing their support behind the 2022 Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal to assist in providing some festive joy for those in need.

The appeal will raise funds to buy food hampers for local residents who need a helping hand to make their Christmas special.

So far, $12,900 has been raised with a range of businesses and local groups offering their support, and others being encouraged to join in.

Bundaberg Rotary have signed up to help spread this year’s Christmas spirit through a monetary donation of $2,000, with members also keen to volunteer their time to help wrap and prepare hampers for the cause.

Bundaberg Rotary’s Matt Griffiths said the organisation was excited to be involved.

“I like the fact it’s bringing so many different groups together for a common cause,” Matt said.

“Groups like Zonta and Quota will join us to help put the Christmas cheer together to help the community’s most in-need members.

“I think it’s important for us all to remember that any one of us, at any time, can go through a bad patch in life and rely on others to help.

“It’s the right thing to do – to help others when we can.”

Matt said Rotary had secured the $2000 Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal donation after helping at Nitro Circus earlier in the year.

“We like to put a cause to the fundraising we do, and so when we heard about the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal we were more than happy to help,” Matt said.

“Members helped out with setting up and crowd control at Nitro Circus.

“We like to call this sweat-equity, where our manpower is turned into funds to support the community!”

Zonta Club of Bundaberg will also be stepping up for a good cause in the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal.

President Le-Anne Allan said the club was more than happy to take part in this year’s fundraiser.

“At the time of year where family and friends come together, there are certainly others in the community who are not able to celebrate in the way they should,” she said.

“Zonta do their bit to help, and the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal is definitely one way where we can do that.

“We’ll be organising the hampers and we have hopes to get 1000 hampers this year – it’s definitely the Mount Everest of challenges!

“There will be lots of woman-power support on the day, which will help support the community.”

Bundaberg Region Mayor Jack Dempsey thanked those who had come on board so far.

“We have had such a great response to the appeal, and I want to say a big thank you to those businesses and local organisations involved so far,” he said.

“Every little bit of support we get is one step closer to creating a happier Christmas for those in our community who are doing it tough.”

How to get involved:

Anyone interested in learning more about how to volunteer for the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal can submit an Expression of Interest form here.

Make a donation here.

To sponsor the appeal please download the sponsorship proposal here.

Read the full Bundaberg Now story here.

The Optical Superstore Bundaberg's Karen Christiansen, Trish Whan, Stephanie McKay and Natalie Bebendorf supporting the Mayor Christmas Cheer Appeal.

The first business has signed on to sponsor the Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal which will see hampers delivered to 20 families in need during the festive season.

The team at The Optical Superstore Bundaberg have thrown their support behind the appeal, pledging $1300.

The appeal raises funds to buy food hampers for local residents who need a hand to make their Christmas special.

The hampers will be distributed by Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, Angels Community Group and Childers and Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centres.

The Optical Superstore Bundaberg owners Andy and Karen Christiansen are the first business to sign up to support the cause through a bronze Mayor's Christmas Appeal sponsorship package.

The duo said, as locals themselves, they understood the importance of giving back to the community that had supported them over the years.

“We want to acknowledge the need to support, in particular, those among us who are less fortunate,” Karen said.

“To make changes to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community, we need to understand that support can make a big difference.

“We wish to thank the community for their support of our business over the years and also our wonderful staff.

“Hopefully we can make a positive change to those in need during the festive season through this appeal.”

Bundaberg Region Mayor Jack Dempsey thanked Optical Superstore staff for their involvement.

“It’s this type of generosity that the Bundaberg Region is so well known for and why I’m so proud to be part of this wonderful community,” he said.

“The appeal is an innovative concept which would see our community rally together for residents less fortunate than ourselves.

“But more than that, it provides support to the charities whose volunteers and staff work tirelessly year-round to fundraise for this and many other causes.

“It shows these charities that we recognise and appreciate what they do and brings us together as a community.”

Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal sponsorship

Platinum sponsor

Your sponsorship will allow us to make up 200 hampers.
Investment: $13,000 plus GST

Gold sponsor

Your sponsorship will allow us to make up 100 hampers.
Investment: $6,500 plus GST

Silver sponsor

Your sponsorship will allow us to make up 50 hampers.
Investment: $3,250 plus GST

Bronze sponsor

Your sponsorship will allow us to make up 20 hampers.
Investment: $1,300 plus GST

Hamper sponsor

You will be named on the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal page.
Investment: $65 plus GST per hamper

In-kind sponsor

Whether you are an agri-business, food retailer or other business and would like to donate up to 650 items for our hampers, we’d love to have you on board!
Please contact us to have a chat and we’ll look at the best way to promote your generous offer.

Find out more about Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal sponsorship options and inclusions here.

Read the full Bundaberg Now story here.

The Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal is off to a cracker start for 2022, after raising over $3500 from the sale of locally made and collectible Christmas baubles last year.

The appeal, which was launched in December, is raising funds to assist a number of local charities to provide hampers for local families in need this Christmas.

This year, the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal will continue the great work of local charities which prepare food hampers – just on a much bigger scale.

Products will be purchased by the pallet-load and a massive community working bee will see the hampers put together right before distribution in December.

Bundaberg Mayor Jack Dempsey said it was fantastic to see the support for the appeal so far and urged the community to continue to support these charities however they could throughout 2022.

“The launch of the appeal has seen great success, with the sale of hundreds of baubles over last year’s Christmas period,” Mayor Dempsey said.

“As part of the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal, we’ll be working with local community groups to fundraise all year-round.

“I encourage the community to continue to be generous where and when they can, so we can ensure every family has a great Christmas in 2022.

“We look forward to continuing to support our local charities who do a fantastic job in providing support to those in need within our community.”

Council will meet with the charities involved later this month to work on a fundraising calendar.

Any business with ideas for fundraising during the year for the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal is encouraged to submit them online here.

Anyone interested in learning more about how to donate or volunteer for the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal can submit an Expression of Interest form here.

Individuals will continue to register with participating charities and those groups will deliver the hampers as normal.

The hampers will be distributed by Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, Angels Community Group and the Childers and Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centres.

Read the full Bundaberg Now story here.