Eungai Rail camp site hosts festival to raise money for PNG sister schools Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - January 12, 2024 The Footprints In Style camping venue will host a weekend to raise money and elicit donations for disadvantaged students in PNG. FOOTPRINTS In Style, an award-winning camping site in Eungai Rail, is hosting a fundraising weekend event for the PNG Sister Schools charity. On 20 and 21 January, all are invited to come and camp at the Eungai Rail venue where musical events, food stalls and fundraising auctions will be held to raise money for this important locally-run charity. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au PNG Sister Schools is an informal charity that was started by the Shepherd family and is still run by Lucy, the host at Footprints In Style, to raise money and create a base for donations collected for the Milne Bay region of Papua New Guinea. “In 2010, my family spent four months in the Milne Bay area of New Guinea and I couldn’t believe the dedication of the children to get to school and learn,” Lucy told News Of The Area. “They would walk for miles to get to a school which didn’t even offer what we see as the basics in terms of learning materials – hardly any books.” “Since then, I have sent two large shipping containers of second-hand learning materials, books, clothes, reading glasses, fishing gear and heaps more stuff over to help.” Lucy is planning on taking over another shipping container in March and says every little bit helps. Freight costs have been donated by Swire Shipping to carry the container from Brisbane to Eastern Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea. “This event is all about securing donations and a bit of cash for costs.” The weekend promises to be a fun one with Lucy’s friend and celebrity blues guitarist, Sam Buckley, donating his time to perform on Saturday night with assistance from other local musicians. There will also be salsa dancing workshops, drumming workshops and meditations held at the picturesque outdoor venue. Footprints in Style has won runner-up Best Hip Camp in NSW two years in a row. The site features a large lake with a jetty, outdoor sauna room and several options for parking a tent or booking a room. On the weekend of 20 and 21 January, camping and entry to workshops is by donation with all money raised going towards PNG Sister Schools. For more information contact Lucy on 0491 101 032. By Ned COWIE Footprints in Style host and fundraiser organiser Lucy Shepherd with her dog Chile.
