Organisations have been given a boost after the final donations from the 2015 Border Bike Fest were handed out.
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Three charities from the area were added to the list of recipients that has seen the event donate more than $90,000 in its eight years.
Run by the Lions Club of Wodonga and the Albury Wodonga branch of the Ulysses Club, the festival has now donated to 24 charity groups.
Lions member Michael Georgiou said the clubs preferred to give to Border community groups that could then pool together their resources.
“The intention has always been to donate to local charities that might slip through the cracks but still need support,” he said.
Recipients at the Junction Square handover on Thursday included Belvoir Special School, Yackandandah Bush Hospital and Upper Murray Family Care.
Belvior Special School’s secondary school leader Leanne Novak, who picked up the $1000 cheque, said support from the Lions and Ulyssess clubs would mean the school’s new cafe would be able to be completed.
“Along with a grant from Border Trust, we will be able to open Bel 54 Cafe,” Mrs Novak said.
The school will put the funds towards purchasing coffee and furniture for the store.
The cafe would allow for Belvoir students who have a passion for food and making coffee to develop their culinary skills.
The school leader told The Border Mail that she hoped to get community groups into the cafe.
The intention has always been to donate to local charities that might slip through the cracks but still need support
- Michael Georgiou
“We hope to really get the community involved and seeing how capable people are,” she said.
“They have the same aspirations as anyone.”
Upper Murray Family Care Interchange manager Jan Bence said that it was a privilege to receive money on behalf of the organisation.
“It’s extremely special, we are a very privileged recipient of the funds,” she said.
This is the second year running UMFC has received donations, totalling $3000, from the event.
“To be able to make it available to organisations like ourselves that do struggle to find that little bit of extra funding,” she said.
The community group plans to put the money towards a volunteer recognition event in May.
“It's a night to recognise the volunteers and say thank you to them,” she said.
Mr Georgiou said that while there was no date set for the 2016 Border Bike Fest, there was definitely an event in the pipeline.
