During this time it has, along with the enthusiastic and welcome support from Lightning Ridge locals and tourists, raised nearly half a million dollars for the local Health Service.

The auxiliary has used this money to purchase everything from furniture for the aged-care facility to state-of-the-art medical equipment including a trauma trolley.

When the auxiliary first kicked off, the committee which had quite a few working members, was young and fresh. For the past five years the committee has been reduced to a group of five, ageing people who just keep hanging in there.

Sadly their days of hanging in there and just giving it another year are almost over and they realise that it is time to recruit new and fresh volunteers.

Once again the UHA committee is calling on the population of Lightning Ridge to step in and volunteer for another cause.

The Health Service does a wonderful job of caring for the town of Lightning Ridge and surrounding districts.

It has also been a great supporter of the hospital auxiliary and would love to see it continue.

The auxiliary has monthly meetings from February through to November which commence at 6pm and never run more than one hour.

The UHA committee holds monthly stalls at Trash and Treasure.

With enough volunteers only four hours every two months would be needed to help out.

There is a saying “volunteers not only feel better in themselves but live longer than people who don’t help their communities”.

The existing UHA committee has enjoyed its fundraising efforts for the health services, but now it needs your help.

If you would like to join the UHA committee to help out in some way or another please contact Francine Mateer on 6829 9999 or write to P O Box 905, Lightning Ridge.

The UHA committee would also like to thank all those wonderful people who drop their cans off for collection.

To date $33,000 has been raised through your thoughtfulness.

To those people who just throw their aluminium drink cans out, please think about it, some time or other you or someone you love is going to need the vital help of our health service.