Grassmere's Cathy Anderson is going to keep her promise to hand deliver donated books to children living in the outback despite this year's Variety Bash road trip being cancelled.
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Ms Anderson said because the community had dug deep to donate 128 books towards the cause she intends to go it alone and drop them off at hospitals and schools in remote parts of Australia.
"As soon as the borders open to South Australia, whether it be next month or Christmas, I'm going to deliver them myself," she said.
And Ms Anderson had planned to deliver the books to schools between Renmark and Birdsville, something she still plans to do, but because it meant going without cars and support crew she will stick to main roads.
"I cannot take the 'bash car' without a crew and take that risk. I'm getting my own car done up with the protection plate underneath against the rocks, the pod on the roof racks, the tent. Everything I need to take a 4WD," she said.
The more than $5000 she has already raised - part of it by selling stickers at Gateway Plaza to put on the converted 1986 Nissan Navara she had intended to take on the original trip - will still be donated to the Variety Bash charity.
Ms Anderson said it had been suggested the books be donated to Victorian children, but she decided against that idea.
"Those books were chosen for outback kids and those outback kids are going to get them," she said.
She still plans to join the Variety Bash next year, but the route for that will be completely different and that's another reason she plans to go and deliver the books herself.
"Life's so unpredictable at the moment," she said.
Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
