Inspirational relief dash for bushfire victims

The natural compassion of our Wayss team hit top gear earlier this month as many dug deep for an inspiring relief effort from staff members Jade and Bec, who sought to help animals and families impacted during the bushfire crisis.

Jade, a horse enthusiast, was spurred into action over the horrific loss of animal life throughout Victoria and NSW. Through her social media connections, developed through her passion for fostering animals, she learned many horses had been left unfed in the Gippsland area, due to evacuations. As Jade has a horse float with a large storage capacity, the duo put out a call for donations of hay or any items that could be delivered where needed most.

Once the supplies were collected, Jade and Bec completed an impromptu mercy dash to Bairnsdale. The country town was one of the most in-need, yet accessible, impacted areas.

"The fact is there were all these horses that nobody was really tending to because they were busy evacuating," Jade said.

"So over 300 horses hadn't been fed. Bec and I decided to donate our time as an instantaneous donation. We thought we could help the cause if we actually did something. We thought we could drive across there and drop off supplies, and help out the day-to-day caring of the animals, because who's doing that part?"

Jade and Bec called on donations from Wayss staff members and were impressed with the enthusiasm of their colleagues.

"We had a great response. Everyone was amazing," Jade said.

"I found random donations at my desk throughout the day, while people even bought clothes from the market for kids. Some people weren't too sure, so gave cash - and we went to the supermarket and bought slabs of water."

Jade and Bec also approached Dandenong Coles, which donated 10 slabs of water.

With the horse float packed to the brim, Jade and Bec headed to Bairnsdale. During their road trip, they even attracted the attention of metropolitan radio station, 3AW, which conducted a live interview.

Bec and helper Tara provided assistance for those impacted.

Bec said; "It was a bit awkward and they were like, 'why are you doing it? But, we were like, 'why not?'"

Once they arrived in Bairnsdale, Jade said she was better prepared for what she saw, having assisted during last year's Bunyip fires. Although, Bec said it was a new experience for her.

"As a city girl, there were many things I learnt - like not to stand behind a horse," she said.

"But there were so many things people are forgetting - like people have cats, but no cat litter. Dogs, but no dog food. Many were saying there were no ATMs with money in them, so they were unable to buy essential items."

Meanwhile, their feats also won praise within the Wayss office, with Lisa commenting; "It makes me so proud to walk alongside people who walk the walk".