As an Australian-based business, it breaks all of our hearts at Localsearch to see the on-going drought crisis, and more recently, the devastating bushfires gripping our nation.
Throughout the year, in addition to our own contributions, we’ve been so proud to see our staff running food, clothing, essential items and monetary donation drives and fundraisers for these causes any many more.
When we heard of the efforts from one of another of our digital marketing specialists in the New South Wales Central Coast region, we knew we needed to do more.
Anne Keen of the Manning River Times reported some of the details of our contribution and that of one of our Digital Marketing Specialist, Kailah Lythgoe, in an article on the 30 December 2019.
“What started out as a modest delivery of homemade jam drops turned into a cash donation for six Manning region NSW Rural Fire Service brigades.
Taree’s Kailah Lythgoe thinks it’s important to do her bit for the community, so after the NSW RFS saved a few of her friends’ houses from fire in late October, she decided to bake some jam drops and deliver them to the Taree RFS station as a thank you.
When she arrived, there was a crew from the Hawbury RFS that were just finishing up a 13 hour shift.
“They hadn’t had a break and they were hungry,” Kailah said. “They were so appreciative, I thought, wow, how can I help them?”
So, she put a call out on Facebook and reached out to her business network, asking for people to make donations of goods or money, and the response was overwhelming.
Before long, she was packing up her car boot and making to RFS stations. She decided it was important to head out to the smaller brigades that weren’t reached by other donations.
But it wasn’t just RFS stations she travelled to. She also made stops at evacuation centres and the airport to make sure the pilots got their bit as well.
During her stop at the Killabakh station in November, she had a chat with the deputy captain, Greg Hale, who mentioned that what the brigade really needed was a winch to help make winding up the house out of gullies easier.
When she posted the story on her Facebook page, it drew the attention of her boss, who forwarded the information onto head office.
Kailah was then flown to the Localsearch headquarters, where a donation of $6,000 toward her $5er for a Firey campaign was announced. The company also donated $6,000 toward Kailah’s drought relief cause from December 2018, Aussie Helpers.”
Throughout the year, we have also held numerous fundraising events at head office to raise money for good causes, including (but not exclusive to):
Thank you to Kailah, our head office staff and Digital Marketing Specialists who have contributed to these causes and more throughout the year. A very huge thank you also needs to be said to the firefighters and volunteers working tirelessly to protect our country from the bushfires both now and in the future.
If you have a cause you’re passionate about you would like consideration for a fundraiser at Localsearch, we’re always open to suggestions. Please email details through to myself at sarah.russo@localsearch.com.au to be passed onto the right mind.