By
FSGT Daven Irish
 |
|
CO
No. 321 Combat Support Squadron Wing Commander Doug Phelan
with Corporal Kent and his family after presenting them
with cheque for $1500, funds raised to help the family after
a fire destroyed their home. Base rallies to help family
|
THOSE
who have experienced the Darwin way of life know that the sun
doesn’t shine any brighter, the beer doesn’t flow any quicker
and the fishing doesn’t get any better than in Darwin.
But at times life isn’t always as bright as we would want it to
be, as Corporal John Kent and his family recently discovered.
CPL Kent, who works at 5/7 RAR Robertson Barracks, lived in a
MQ adjoining RAAF Base Darwin with his wife Sue and children.
The family have been in the Darwin area for more then four years.
On October 9 a fire ripped through their MQ, destroying a lifetime
of memories and accumulated “stuff”.
It’s the “stuff” that denotes our past, present and future, and
when it suddenly disappears, for a time we’re stranded within
a void. Help was quickly offered to the Kents; friends freely
opened their homes, others willingly provided replacement household
items and kids’ toys.
Then RAAF Base Darwin rallied behind the family and organised
for members to donate a gold coin as a precursor to the compulsory
Friday morning base run.
A barbecue lunch fundraiser followed, with the inevitable raff
es.
With extra help from Variety Club NT and the Darwin Harley Owners’
Group, arranged by CO No. 321 Wing Commander Doug Phelan, the
base collected $1500 that was presented to CPL Kent at the compulsory
Friday morning base run on October 24.
