RALLY FOR RECOVERY…A BRIEF HISTORY… TO 2022

This is a work in progress…

Rally (Tomakin) commenced 2000. Set up by Vera Entwistle, founder and a previous long time CEO of Camp Quality.

She had resigned from Camp Quality and had realised that helping Children with cancer was only one ideal to be pursued but maybe helping find a cure for Cancer through research was a better way to go.

She contacted Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation that at that time was Randwick Children’s Hospital, and Rally became a donator.

In 2001 lan Boardman and wife Gayle were her primary movers, assisted by Alan “Fingers” Edmunds. After meeting up with lan at a presentation outlining the aims of Rally, John and Truda ward became enthusiastic members.

For the first few years of the Rally concept, there was a car rally, held in March to thank volunteers. The cost was $500 per person and many beautiful places around Australia were visited. Rally Tomakin (Eurobodalla) was the most successful group in Australia so Vera decided that the next rally would be from Narooma in 2003. Unfortunately, this did not occur due to the worst drought in Australian history, plus hugely escalating costs like fuel. Many groups folded at that time.

lan was transferred to Queanbeyan in his job and John Ward was appointed as Southern Area Representative. In 2002 Rally was asked to take over the stock held by Camp Quality which was the start of the garage sales concept at Tomakin. Council agreed to a peppercorn rental of $1 P/A for the disgustingly run down shed. Repairs were started and completed at an estimated cost of $45,000, the cost of which Council contributed $5000, and the rest was, donated by businesses and tradesmen plus many volunteers.

John Ward had many plans to enlarge our storage facilities that included a knock down of the existing shed. At that time Rally was utilizing the old shed supplemented by three garden sheds and lots of furniture under tarpaulins. Council would not approve any of the proposals put forward and Rally continued with their activities under difficult conditions. Prior to the then almost monthly sale days it would take 3 or more hours to set up the large tarpaulins on the Friday, then, commencing at 6am on Saturday, set out all the tables and furniture to be ready for the crowds to come in at 9am. It would then be around 5 when all unsold items were back in storage,

John Ward was experiencing poor health at that time, though very few members were aware of this. In 2009 John stood down as president and John Lightfoot was elected to carry on his sterling work. Then Council dropped a bombshell and Rally was to vacate the premises by December 31 2010. This set off a huge outcry of public support and many representations to Council. At the end public pressure won the day. Representations to Council changed tack to, at first, have a carport style covered area at the front of the building. This was approved and actioned. This structure was subsequently moved to the side rear of the complex. Next was the skillion roofed shedding at the side of the shed. By this time there was much more concrete replacing “Rally concrete”, being old carpet as flooring. Side walls, at this time, was ex grain corp grain cover sheeting.

All pick-ups were done by car and trailers, not very pleasant on wet days. The interior shelving was also completely redone utilizing shelving donated by Kmart and Cameron’s. These were further upgraded to the shelving now being used. Frequency of sales also increase to Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Rally for Recovery Tomakin reached the $1,000,000 mark of donations to The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation in 2014.

John Lightfoot stood down from the presidency in 2012 and Michael Drynan undertook the responsibilities for one year when John was again elected to the position. The next management change came about in 2016 when Ken Sloan was elected.

Ken has overseen many more improvements during his presidency. The major one being the rebuild at the front of the old shed, and the enclosing of the side walls on most of the building with permanent walls and doors. A small Pantech truck was also purchased, resulting in the phasing out of the trailers.

Ken moved to Queanbeyan early 2022 with the presidency being transferred to Ray Dickinson. Ray and his team have continued the improvements with the latest being the laying of another large section of concrete at the front of the premises greatly improving the roll out of stock each sale day.

All of the above would not have been possible without work of committee and most importantly, the goodwill and work efforts of the many volunteers that have assisted and contributed so much during the past 20 and more years. Also the many businesses and tradesmen that have also assisted. Many of the early volunteers have passed on. The Rally ideals and purpose will, hopefully, continue to ensure that there will always be a band of willing workers.

Rally has now donated in excess of $3m to childhood cancer research.

“From little things, big thing grow”d