Trimmed Locs raised funds for Docs
DRESSED to the nines and armed with a keg of beer in the back of the truck, four bleary-eyed Blues Brothers were ready to do their bit for charity yesterday.
In Grafton for the start of the annual Royal Flying Doctor Service Car Trek, the Blues Brother AutoGroup team of Tony Ghanem, Naz Karhani, Michael Najjar and Neil Dawson looked a little worse for wear after attending a fundraiser the night before, also for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
"We're here to support the doctor," Mr Najjar said.
The Blues Brother Auto Group team will be one of 161 vehicles on the road for 10 days as part of the 20th Royal Flying Doctor Service Car Trek.
Organiser Stephen Knox said 375 people would be on the road at any one time as part of the fundraiser.
This year, he expected the group to raise about $1.2 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
"By the time we've finished, we would have raised about $15 million over 20 years for the service," he said. "That's about two and a half aeroplanes."
He said although the Royal Flying Doctor Service received money from the government for running costs, the charity relied on fundraising to replace damaged or worn out planes.
Mr Knox said the charity, which provides emergency and primary health care services to people in remote parts of Australia, was a cause worthy of support.
On Tuesday night, hairdressing chain Just Cuts held a 'Cut-A-Rama' to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, with Channel 7 personality and V8 enthusiast Grant Denyer in Grafton to host the event at the Crown Hotel.
Stylists cut, sprayed and styled patrons' hair into a variety of wild styles to raise money for the charity service.
Drivers set off early yesterday, sporting their new 'dos, and will head north to the Gulf of Carpentaria, before finishing up in Darwin on June 12.
"By the time we've finished, we would have raised about $15 million over 20 years for the service "