By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
HALLAM’s Friends of Red Cross celebrated two very special occasions on Monday 15 June.
Dorothy Browne was awarded as its longest serving member and got the honour of cutting the 36th birthday cake.
Betty Keen has been a part of the Hallam Red Cross for 25 years and said Dorothy is very special.
“Dorothy is from Keysborough and has come up to Hallam for 30 years, so she’s very special, I think she’s been on the committee several times over the years as well,” she said.
On the day Dorothy said: “I’m not the oldest, just the longest.”
And the Friends of Red Cross celebrated its birthday with an afternoon tea and talk from guest speaker Eunice Welch from the Red Cross stamp collection department.
“It was a very interesting speech, she showed us how they package, auction and price the stamps.
“Eunice left with about four bags full of stamps – there would have been thousands of stamps in there,” Betty explained.
Betty said the members didn’t have time for reminiscing over the past 36 years because they were too interested in the funds the stamps provide to the Red Cross each year.
“The Red Cross made $11,000 last year just through the sale of used stamps that would otherwise been thrown away,” she said.
Betty said members are very proud to still be going strong.
“Many small units have had to shut down local units because they can’t get new members but we’ve been very lucky to get new members they bring in new ideas,” Betty said.
The Friends of Red Cross holds raffles, barbecues and fundraisers throughout the year and utilise their crafty skills as well.
“Our ladies are very handy with craft and cooking and we hold a stall at the Doveton shopping strip to raise money.
“Were a good little group, we’re not a one man band and we all do something to contribute to the group we often go out to lunch together and that’s part of it, too, to socialise with friends, neighbours and locals,” Betty said.
