Beaudesert born and bred David Goeldner has dedicated his time for the third year in a row to participate in A Long Drive for Drought charity drive to raise money for Farm Angels.
A Long Drive for Drought is a fundraising initiative in association with Farm Angels where a group of 40 series land cruisers travel on the backroads of rural Queensland across eight days to raise money for farmers and families in drought-stricken communities.
The event is set to start on August 27 until September 5 with the group of roughly 50 vehicles kicking off their trip in Glenden.
Dave first joined this initiative in 2021 after his ongoing recovery from stage 3 oesophageal cancer challenged his life expectancy.
“I was actually stage two to three, nearly stage four, with four being terminal – they gave me all of three to twelve months to live,” Dave said.
“I took the operation and I’ve spent the next six years getting back to where I am now.”
“Even now, I still have trouble most nights, but I live with that, and I don’t care because I’m here,” he added.
Dave enjoys taking the ‘old bus’ for a spin and has participated each year with his daughter Cassie, who is also quite fond of the old 40 series and the initiative behind it.
“She’s a car fanatic, loves this sort of thing – she has a real country heart,” he said.
“Just enjoys the camaraderie, enjoys seeing things and just doing the run…driving the old bus – we call them old buses – she enjoys driving it.”
Dave has spent countless hours spreading awareness by handing out flyers on how people can donate and through raffles where Simmo’s Industrial Supplies kindly donated $200 cash and a multi-pro 12 function tool to help support his fundraising efforts.
Dave is excited to join this year’s drive and hopes to participate next year with his wife.
“You hear one say, ‘if you don’t have a farmer, you don’t have food’, well that’s true,” he said.
“They’re struggling…if we can help them out, we’ll do that.”
If you would like to donate, visit long-drive-for-drought-2024.raiselysite.com.
