Firstly, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a Wagga Wagga local, who decided to join the Quest to increase my confidence, give back to the community and meet new people. I had been asked to participate in the Quest in previous years and always declined. However, this year I decided to take a step out of my comfort zone and hesitantly signed the application forms. I have already gained a lot out of the Quest in the few months I have been involved.
I am fortunate to be sponsored by my workplace, Bush & Campbell Accountants, who have been very supportive of my journey in the Quest, which I am very thankful for.
July was a busy month for us all, with the highlight of the month being the running of our first fundraising event; a ‘Decades’ Trivia Night at our Gold Sponsor, the RSL Club. It was a successful night, and we are so grateful to all those who came along to support us, and to those who assisted with the organisation. We had a lot of fun, and also learnt a lot from the experience. For future events we know the importance of finalising the run sheet well in advance, as well as allocating plenty of time for setting up!
In July we also made a group blood/plasma donation, and signed up to the Bone Marrow Register, after an inspiring talk from Jenny Nixon. It was great to see so many people from the community donating also. If you are eligible to donate, please consider doing so.
We were also fortunate to receive an invitation to the Sarah Lloyd Scholarship Presentation. The Sarah Lloyd Scholarship Fund is a current Beneficiary of the Quest, and was also a Beneficiary last year. Last years’ funds were used to present Montana Breen with a scholarship. Entrants Amy, Maggie and Kat attended on our behalf. It is great to see our Beneficiaries in action making a difference.
Finally, at the end of a busy month all of the Entrants caught up to play ten pin bowling. Maggie, Belinda, Amy, Kat, Shauna and myself have become great friends throughout this experience and it was lovely to catch up in a relaxed setting.
It has been a great year so far, and there is still much to come. Tickets to our Malaysian Night on Friday 6 September are currently available, with tickets to our High Tea on the 22 September released soon. We will also be at the Union Club Hotel selling tickets to the meat tray raffles every Friday in August and would love to see you there!
Gabby Hewson
2025 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Entrant.