RED CROSS CALLING

Look out for the red and white collection buckets from today as March 1, marks the start of Red Cross Calling which raises funds for Red Cross services throughout March.

Initially collections were organised in the community by the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment based in Baulkham Hills with the help of churches and service groups but later it was organised by the newly formed Red Cross Castle Hill Branch. Long-time member Ann Coupland said: “After a while we stopped calling and knocking door-todoor and since then have concentrated on the local shopping centres and Bunnings stores.

“Owing to the amazing generosity of the residents of The Hills Shire our Red Cross Castle Hill Branch has been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars with every single cent raised going to Red Cross projects.”

Castle Hill Red Cross branch has won the Red Cross Chairman’s shield eight times since 2006 and has raised more than $1 million with its Red Cross Calling Campaign since October 1989.

Funds help with various programs included crisis relief such as the recent floods in Townsville where the Red Cross managed large volumes of people in temporary evacuation centres.

Members of the Red Cross branch at Castle will be at Dural Mall every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the end of the month. Volunteers will also be at Winston Hills Mall Thursday through to Sunday until the end of month, except for March 14 to March 17. Both Bunnings Dural and Bunnings Castle Hill will have Red Cross volunteers collecting at the weekends.