Nearing the end of a marathon run, the mob of heifers making a star appearance at Sydney’s premier strip of sand next weekend are resting up on the outskirts of town before the big event.
The Herd of Hope charity cattle drive will kick off at Bondi Beach at 7.30am on Saturday, March 17.
It is is a gala event to raise awareness and support for services to the families and loved ones of organ donors as well as transplant recipients, which are sadly lacking across rural and regional Australia.
A unique event in history will occur when team of stockmen on horseback will drive the heifers along the promenade and onto southern end of the famous beach.
The Herd of Hope is a family occasion, with a country breakfast on offer, the best of the ag industries showing off where our food comes from, as well as a petting-zoo for little ones.
Event organiser Lizzie Mazur said the event is bringing the bush to the city to highlight the pressing need for better healthcare across Australia’s regional areas.
“It’s about the all the people in Australia coming together to improve access to transplant services and care for donor families,” Mrs Mazur said.
”We’re so grateful to Waverly Council and the people of Bondi for welcoming us.
“It’s a big ask, but it’s worth it. It’ll help make the lives of many people better right across the country.”
Of the 74,000 deaths that occurred in 2015, 920 resulted in organ transplants. Australia ranks 22 in international organ donation rates, one of the lowest for a developed nation.
Sick people in the bush are hundreds or event thousands of kilometers from expert care.
Those awaiting transplants may be forced to relocate to major cities, to be close to transplant facilities at major hospitals when organs become available.
The Hayes family of Undoolya Station in the Northern Territory donated 40 Poll Hereford heifers for the cattle drive.
Kemp and Sons transported the Herd from the Barossa Valley, South Australia after a spell on the Stockwell property of Farmer Johns owners Marlene and Greg Schubert. Hayters Transport gifted the Herd a ride from Narrandera, NSW to Sydney.
As well as promoting organ donation, the event will muster support for research with the University of South Australia to develop counselling services for organ donor families and transplant care nurses in the bush to guide organ recipients through the challenging recovery process.