They have given the organising committee a $30,000 Kia Cerato to auction.
And Moama Bowling Club sales and marketing manager George Santos said with just 1000 tickets at $50 each, he expected a strong demand when they go on sale from next month.
Mr Santos said the goal of the Let’s Revive Echuca-Moama committee was $100,000; which will go to Echuca-Moama Tourism for advertising and marketing to attract more people here during the coming winter.
“Kathryn Mackenzie, the chief executive at Echuca-Moama Tourism, tells me the twin towns are currently booked out, which is fantastic news,” he said.
“But the real crunch will come after the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June — that’s when our accommodation and hospitality industries, in particular, will be looking for all the support they can get.
“Moama Bowling Club is part of the local business community, as well as being a community hub, so we are delighted we are able to lend a hand right across the board.”
The campaign has launched a Let’s Revive Echuca-Moama GoFundMe page and already has $37,5000 from its celebrity golf day and dinner at Rich River Golf Club.
Kia Echuca principal Duane Johns said his dealership, and Kia itself, were happy to get behind the fundraising campaign because tourism was such a key driver of the local economy.
Mr Johns said when he was approached by Moama Bowling Club, he did not hesitate to get on board, describing the needs of the local tourism industry as “urgent”.
He said the lockdowns and recent five-day snap shutdown had crippled the local economy — both sides of the river.
“It will be a long road back so if we are able to help the twin towns get there faster, we’re on board,” Mr Johns said.
“Our Kia dealership has been the regional dealership of the year and that’s a success we owe to our community as much as to the quality of our cars and our staff.
“We see this fundraiser as a tangible way of saying thank you for all the support we have had — and of reinvesting in the community where I, and all our staff and their families, live.
“And to have all the facilities and opportunities we do is a reflection of the ultra-positive approach of everyone in Echuca-Moama.”
Ms Mackenzie said she had been overwhelmed by the response of everyone in Echuca-Moama, and with the golf, the Kia raffle and the upcoming Murray River cruise packages on the MV Mary Ann — as well as the GoFundMe page — it was more than she had ever hoped.
She agreed with Mr Santos about the need for more business in the winter season and said this unexpected money could well make the difference for many businesses — on both sides of the river.
“I don’t think everyone gets just how hard it really is, and has been, so having this money to extend our marketing and advertising is so absolutely critical,” she said.
“It is support for which Echuca-Moama is already so well known and we would like to thank Kia and the Moama Bowling Club — and everyone who buys a ticket when they go on sale in April — for this incredible generosity.”
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