Community
14 August, 2025
Fundraising for farmers
MORTLAKE Kindergarten has launched an eye-catching fundraiser backing farmers during drought conditions, which has quickly drawn support from far and wide.
The kindergarten last Friday began selling ‘haybale tokens’ at stores across Mortlake to raise money for Need for Feed Australia, a volunteer-run organisation which delivers feed to farmers during times of natural disaster such as flooding, fires and drought.
The haybale tokens, ranging from $5 upwards, are then being added to a large two-dimensional truck which has been added to the fencing on the corner of Officer and Dunlop streets.
Mortlake Kindergarten educational leader Jane Gough said one of the kindergarten’s educators, Prue Sagnol, had conceptualised the fundraiser following discussions on the impact of the drought.
“Throughout the year our kindergarten educators have been having quite a lot of conversations with the children with regard to the impact of the drought on the farmers in south west Victoria,” she said.
“The children clearly understand what the lack of rain means for the farms, as well as being conscious of the amount of feeding their families have been doing.
“These conversations with children led the educators at the kinder to reflect – because we are a community-orientated kinder, we would have the opportunity to implement a fundraising event which could help to support the farmers.
“A big focus of ours in the kindergarten is to strengthen the children’s awareness and connection to the community they live in.
“We saw this as a way to implement all of those focuses.”
The idea quickly gained support in Mortlake, with businesses throughout town agreeing to sell the tokens at the front counter in support of the cause.
Ms Gough said all involved in the fundraiser were “so grateful” local business embraced the fundraising concept which will be running throughout August.
“We’re trying to involve the local community but also those who are travelling through Mortlake as well,” she said.
“We’ve made the huge 2D truck sitting on the fence between Mitre 10 and the police station, so as people come around the roundabout they can see the truck, what it’s about and the increasing load.
“We’ve already got about $1500 of funding up on the truck and we only started last Friday, so it’s becoming like a visual representation for people to watch over August.”
Ms Gough said the children at the kinder were also taking a hands-on role in supporting the fundraiser through the creation of promotional signage and the collection of the haybale tokens from participating stores.
“The children have created posters for display in local businesses identifying what they think the drought means to them,” she said.
“They’re also going to be responsible with going around the shops with families to pick up the haybale tokens which have been sold and bringing them back to the kinder.
“The other thing we did a couple of weeks ago is we all participated in the Wear Green for Farmers Day.”
Ms Gough said she was particularly thankful to the staff at the Mortlake Roadhouse, who spread the message to their 15,000 followers on social media – many of whom are truck drivers located outside the south west, which sent news of the fundraiser as far as interstate.
“We already have a lot of sites outside of Mortlake which have declared it an inspiration,” she said.
“It’s phenomenal to see all the support.
“Word of the fundraiser has spread interstate and we had no idea it could spread so far.
“A huge thanks to the Mortlake Roadhouse who have helped immensely, they’ve promoted it for us on their social media which has been a big part of the phenomenal support we’ve received.”
Ms Gough thanked anyone who purchases a haybale token throughout August, saying all funds raised would go directly back to farmers.
“We appreciate everyone’s support because all of it is for our farming community,” she said.
“The farmers have been doing it tough for two years so any small contribution is welcomed not only on our behalf, but for the farming community too.”