Hawthorn players and staff have witnessed first-hand the devastation and hardship caused by the recent Australian bushfire crisis, following visits to the Corryong and Buchan regions last week.
Players and staff spent the latter half of last week in Corryong and Buchan helping local farmers take down and rebuild fire ravaged fences.
Houses have been destroyed, farms ravaged, sheds and equipment burnt, and livestock lost. The fires have also had a dramatic impact on the towns’ economies, in part due to decreased tourism and visitation.
Hawks ruckman John Ceglar wants to encourage others to return to the bushfire-affected regions, lend a hand in the immense clean up that lies ahead, and give the local economy a boost.
“When you’re in Melbourne you don’t realise how bad it is,” Ceglar said, while visiting Corryong last week.
“[It’s not until you’re here that you] realise how much land is burned, how many people lost houses, lost cattle, lost other livestock and unfortunately people lost their lives.
“The effects of the bushfires will be felt for a long time, so the best thing anyone can do is to get down to these areas when it’s safe to do so, spend some money in local shops and lend a hand wherever you can.”
“We hope that by being down in the local community, we can lead by example and encourage others to do the same.”
Above photo courtesy of the Border Mail
Above photo courtesy of the Border Mail
