‘Grass Roots’ tour contributes over $100, 000 to communities

Following on from Australia’s bushfire crisis, many regional towns and communities around Australia have been doing it tough.

For months now, businesses in these areas are feeling the flow on effect to their cash flows of the natural disasters that are ravaging their communities. The tourist dollar goes a long way to help keep their doors open, and caravan and camping has a huge role to play for many of these areas which are reliant on tourism for their long term sustainability.

That’s where the Suncoast Caravan Service ‘Grass Roots’ tour comes in.

Initiated by the Beausang and Twist families (who own and manage Suncoast Caravan Service), the tour was designed to assist by encouraging the caravanning fraternity to hook up their vans and RV’s and hit the road to visit towns and communities which have been devastated by fire and drought.

Approximately 100 people in 50 caravans began the tour on March 13, and after five days on the road visiting three communities, the initiative has contributed over $100, 000 directly into these communities.

“This is exactly the desired effect that we had hoped to achieve. We have been overwhelmed by the reception we have received from the communities of Stanthorpe, St George and Cunnamulla to date,” said Adam Twist, General Manager Suncoast Caravan Service.

“Grass Roots Tour participants are continuously amazed by the friendliness of the communities and we are humbled by the participants on the tour, with their willingness to give back to these disaster affected communities,” he said.

“The communities in south-west Queensland’s response to the Tour has been overwhelming,” Letitia Twist, Marketing Manager Suncoast Caravan Service added.

“Over the duration of the Tour so far, we have been able to assist local community organisations including Stanthorpe Rotary Club, St George Rotary Club, Eulo Polo Cross Club and the Cunnamulla & District Diggers Race Club.”

Several organisations and businesses contributed to the event including Leisuretec, Brisbane Camperland, Australian Caravan Club, Caravanning Queensland, Family Parks, MyCoolman, Caravan Industry Association of Australia, Tag Towing and Truma.

These valuable contributions have been made in the form of goods for prizes and money for community groups to provide sponsored happy hour events at each location.

“We have had a really hard time in the last twelve months. It’s green now and our spirits have been incredibly uplifted, but it is a green drought. So the farmers are still struggling and they will for another twelve to eighteen months and so are the businesses,” said President of the Stanthorpe Rotary Club Fran Hodgson.

“And I think (the Grass Roots tour), coming here is the best thing you could do to bring and lift the spirits of our community and also bring some money into our pockets.”