Father’s Day fundraiser a winner for Dungog Hospital Auxiliary

DUNGOG Hospital Auxiliary’s Father’s Day Stall popped up on Saturday morning, outside the newsagency in Dowling Street.

It opened at 8.30am and ran until the goods were sold out, around lunchtime.

The Father’s Day stall is one of just a few of the Auxiliary’s fundraising events for 2025.

The next street stall will be held at the Christmas street party, also in Dowling Street.

Along with only three street stalls, they will also run just three raffles for the year.

These events raise money to buy equipment and items needed at the hospital, but not provided by government funding.

The Father’s Day raffle was drawn on Saturday afternoon.

The lucky winners were Joy, David and Glen.

All the items on the stall were handmade, grown and donated by the Auxiliary volunteers.

Locals and visitors stopped to chat, and browse the stall’s large variety of goods.

They seemed happy to buy reasonably priced, locally-made items to benefit a good cause.

There was quite a range of baked goods, like slices and cakes, large and small.

One beautifully decorated orange cake looked especially mouth-watering.

Rows of colourful bottled preserves and jams drew the eye.

Garden plants nurtured by the volunteers added touches of green.

Neat, knitted baby clothing and handmade homewares jostled for space with second hand books.

Clearly, much time and effort by the volunteers had gone into producing so many items to fill the several big tables.

Secretary of the Auxiliary branch Judy Steer, said that new members are always welcome.

The Auxiliary branch meets once a month at the Dungog Day Care Centre, near the hospital.

Members gather at 1.30pm for a cuppa and chat before the meeting begins at 2pm.

“Meetings are nearly always finished by 3pm for people who need to pick up children from school.”

For more information, call Judy on 0416131875, leave a message and she will call back.

By Lisa WISEMAN