Top vintage

By Rebecca Codey

Trevor Evans and five-year-old Paige Matthews with Tractor Trek organiser CPL Russell Osment and Camp Quality fundraising co-ordinator Julie Burford, along with, back from left, Daniel Aunger, Taylah Matthews, Sam McClelland and Tony Fotheringham, at Apex Park on Saturday morning just before the tractors departed for Waikerie.

Photo by David Rice/The Bunyip newspaper

The Tractor Trek took a break at Tolley Reserve, Nuriootpa, to raise more money before completing the trek at the Roseworthy Agriculture Museum on October 9. Pictured at Tolley Reserve on Saturday from left to right were: Terry Pollard, Sam McClelland, Trevor Evans, Marj McClelland, Zoe Osment, CPL Russell Osment, Terry Page, John Pargeter and Danny Craig.

Photo by the Barossa Herald

* * Camp Quality is a non-profit organisation that brings laughter and happiness to the lives of children living with cancer and their families. Year-round recreational programs tailored for babies through to 18-year olds allow children diagnosed with cancer to be kids again, to leave their treatment and side effects behind to participate in fun-filled adventure and make new friends. Camp Quality’s support extends to the entire family, with week-long camps, weekend family camps and day activities. Camp Quality relies on community, corporate and individual donations and sponsorship to run its life-changing programs.

MORE than 30 vintage tractor enthusiasts, behind the wheels of 30 vintage tractors, travelled more than 400km in nine days last month, raising almost $30,000 for Camp Quality in South Australia.

Unrelenting rain, biting winds and a case of hypothermia in the last days of the trek failed to dampen the spirits of the determined group, led by Air Force Corporal Russell Osment.

Corporal Osment’s bid to raise awareness of cancer and much-needed money for Camp Quality – in memory of his seven-year-old daughter Laura, lost to a rare cancer in 1994 – resulted in this unusual journey, entitled 2005 Trekk’n for Kids Vintage Tractor Trek.

The corporal from RAAF Base Edinburgh chose to combine his hobby of collecting and restoring vintage machinery with his desire to support Camp Quality SA – an idea sparked by Flight Sergeant Kevin Cheeseman’s wish to raise money for charity by driving a tank from Adelaide to Darwin.

“Organising the fund raiser was a way for me to say thank you to Camp Quality for looking after Laura when she was in their care – her companion said she had so much fun being with all the other kids and always had a big smile on her face,” Corporal Osment said.

“Many of us are fortunate to live a long, healthy life and we thought we could bring some happiness to a child through a fun event.

“I don’t have a tank, but I do have vintage tractors, so I decided to organise a fundraising event driving vintage tractors.”

Almost a year of planning and organisation followed. Corporal Osment secured support from the Gawler Machinery Restorers Club, to which he belongs, and invited all South Australian vintage machinery clubs to participate.

He liaised with sponsors, entrants and councils, many of the latter readily agreeing to provide accommodation in their council-owned tourist parks and a few also committing money to the event.

Corporal Osment and his fellow vintage tractor trekkers fired up their tractor engines and set off from Apex Park in Gawler on October 1.

He drove his newly restored red 1954 McCormick International AWD6 tractor. All participating tractors were manufactured between 1939 and 1974.

The convoy travelled through Kapunda, Eudunda, Morgan, Cadell, Waikerie, Blanchetown, Truro, Nuriootpa and Sheoak Log before returning to the Roseworthy Agricultural College Museum, the home of his club, on October 9.

All care was taken to ensure the trek met safety requirements. Corporal Osment was granted a special permit by Transport SA to hold the event, which allowed the group to travel on public roads.

“The large number of heavy transport vehicles travelling along the Sturt Highway on days six and seven of our trek were pleased with the professionalism of the event drivers, as the safety vehicles were in constant touch with them through UHF radios.

“As part of the Transport SA permit, we also had to have front and rear safety vehicles using flashing lights and signs warning approaching traffic of slow-moving vehicles, and the tractors were required to have flashing lights fitted.”

South Australian police escorted the tractors through the start point and along a nasty stretch of road as they entered the Barossa Valley.

An average speed of 15km per hour equated to seven hours a day on a hard steel seat for the drivers – proof of their commitment to the cause.

It’s no surprise these seven-hour stints were broken by regular rest stops, with one club member setting up a roadside kitchen at each break, treating the others to everything from tea and coffee to barbecues.

The group stopped at towns along the way to spread the word about Trekk’n for Kids and Camp Quality, and to request donations. Bystanders had an opportunity to dig deep for the charity at a dinner and auction on October 7, and a barbecue at Nuriootpa the following day.

One tractor trekker, a 70-year-old former professional bull rider and former professional magician named Ray, managed to raise almost $300 thanks to a stick he called his “sexy stick”.

“The stick had a propeller on one end and when the stick was rubbed with a hard object, the propeller would spin – say the magic word and it spins the other way … allegedly,” Corporal Osment said.

“Ray approached people along the trek, demonstrated how the ‘sexy stick’ worked and charged two dollars to see how sexy the user was. No-one was sexy enough to figure out the trick, but he raised a good amount of money with it.”

Corporal Osment was heartened by the welcome they received at every stop. Short receptions with the local mayor and council officials were held in honour of the trekkers in the major towns, while other communities went out of their way to acknowledge the event.

In Cadell in the Riverland, the local primary school and the Country Women’s Association put on a morning tea.

“They have a population of less than 150, but they must have all come out to meet us and provide scones, cakes, sandwiches and coffee. They also donated some money from a school fund-raising event,” he said.

“The Eudunda RSL similarly provided us with dinner and bingo, with half of the funds raised going to Camp Quality. But to mention just these two towns would be unjust, as all of the places we visited were terrific – country people really know how to turn it on.”

Early on day seven, the mild weather the group had enjoyed took a turn for the worse, the wind and rain setting in at 10am and not clearing until the final day.

“That Friday morning, by the time we reached the top of Accommodation Hill near Truro, visibility was down to 50m, the temperature was only about three or four degrees Celsius and the rain was almost horizontal,” Corporal Osment explained.

“We arrived at our rendezvous spot at the top of Accommodation Hill, with no protection, about an hour early and had to wait for our police escort.

“One entrant was suffering hypothermia and had to be taken to the nearest town for a hot shower, joining us in Truro two hours later.”

It’s somewhat of an understatement to say Corporal Osment, who also volunteers at both the Gawler Health Service and Roseworthy Agricultural College Museum when not fulfilling his role as an aircraft technician with No. 92 Wing Logistic Operations, was thrilled with the group’s commitment and the support the event received.

“The money means so much to the kids and their families and our almost $30,000 is enough to send 60 kids and their carers away for a one-week camp,” he said.

“Almost $1000 of our total came from members at Edinburgh. I also had the full support of my supervisors and was granted short leave by my CO to coordinate the event.”

Although this is the first event Corporal Osment has organised, it won’t be the last.

He already has plans for a similar trip in 2007, this time north through the Clare Valley and onto the Flinders Ranges. By all accounts most people on the trek have already indicated they would like to do it again.

“With two years till the next one I would hope it will be bigger and better, raising even more money for Camp Quality.”

Corporal Osment thanked Flight Lieutenant Paul Allen and Sergeant Alex Piantadosi for their support during the last 10 months and his committee members and entrants who helped to make the trip memorable and fun.

Donations are still being accepted. Cheques can be made out to Trekk’n for Kids/Camp Quality and sent to 92WG LOGOPS ASR.

 

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