Rodney Stevens

The Lawrence Rodeo Committee has donated $25,000 to 18 valuable organisations who help across the Clarence Valley from profits raised at the 2022 Bruce Green Memorial Rodeo.

Lawrence Rodeo Committee secretary Michelle Firth said the committee met on April 15 to donate the profits raised from the Bruce Green Memorial Rodeo to community organisations who volunteered to help man the gates, cook barbeques and man the office.

“Every year in December we have the rodeo and we have about 16 clubs that come along and help run the barbeques, the gates and the office and whatever else we need them to help run,” she said.

“With the money that we raise on the night, because we’re not-for-profit everything we raise goes back in to the community, and this year we were able to donate $25,000, which we split up between the clubs.”

The 2022 rodeo was named in honour of former Lawrence Rodeo Committee President Bruce Green, who was killed in a tragic rodeo event in January 2021.

In addition to the 16 organisations that helped at the 2022 rodeo, Ms Firth said the committee also made donations to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a group who look after the Lawrence Cemetery.

After donating hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the Clarence Valley over the years, Ms Firth said the committee is always proud to contribute its profits from the rodeo.

“It makes us feel pretty proud to be able to donate that amount of money to the community and help all these organisations that have probably been struggling over the last few years with Covid and floods,” she said.

Without the Lawrence Rodeo committee’s major sponsors, The Lawrence Tavern, Mitre 10 Maclean, XXXX Gold and Wants Constructions, Ms Firth said the annual rodeo wouldn’t be the success it is, and the committee wouldn’t be able to make such generous donations to community groups.

Community organisations to benefit from the $25,000 donation are:

Lawrence Hall Committee, Lawrence Public School P&C, Baryulgil Fineflower Campdraft, Harwood Cricket Club, Lawrence Cricket Club, Grafton and Districts 4WD Club, Lawrence Fire Brigade, Lower Clarence Pony Club, United Cricket Club, City Bears Hockey Club, Lawrence Community Preschool, St Joseph’s Parent Forum, Maclean Scottish Town Dancers, Lower Clarence Magpies, Maclean High School Agriculture Department, Lawrence SES, Lawrence Cemetery, The Westpac Rescue Helicopter.