About 1000 people packed into Cudgewa Football Netball Recreation Reserve over the weekend to raise money and spirits and help the Upper Murray recovery from devastating bushfires.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
James Blundell and Sara Storer were the star attractions of the Rise From The Ashes concert on Saturday night, with the country music headliners bringing in the big crowd.
Some people camped at the footy ground from Friday night and there was a steady stream of people into the venue from 11am onward.
They were there to enjoy the music and have some drinks.
The real aim though was to raise money to help the community, which suffered through the loss of numerous homes, large numbers of cattle and damage to farmland.
Event organiser Jo Humphrey said the aim was to get 1000 people into the concert.
But organisers did not have a fundraising target through ticket sales and auction items.
"We'll give each business and community member a cheque, depending on what's happened to them and what they need," she said.
"We can go and pay their accounts at the local building supplies so we're supporting the business as well.
"Depending on what we get is how we'll distribute it.
"We're working with the police to figure out where it all needs to go."
The money could be spend on anything from hay and fencing supplies to pet care and mental health support.
"We didn't want the money to go towards one thing, we wanted it to go where it's actually needed and where people have missed out from the government," Mrs Humphrey said.
Items up for auction included a guitar, AFL merchandise and print from local photographers and artists.
Rise From The Ashes was the first event to get funding support from the Victorian government, specifically through the state's Regional Events Fund Bushfire Recovery Round.
Regional Development Jaclyn Symes Minister said the event was important to bring people back into the fire-affected community.
"The Regional Event Fund Bushfire Recovery Round is helping our regional towns get back on their feet," she said.
"And The Rise from The Ashes Concert will show people the Upper Murray is resilient and very much open for business."
The event continues on Sunday.
