Outback Radio 2WEB to hold first Radiothon Auction in 20 years

This weekend, Outback Radio 2WEB will hold its first Radiothon Auction in twenty years, with the lofty goal of raising $100,000 for Macquarie Home Stay in Dubbo, which provides affordable accommodation for regional patients and their families needing medical treatment far from home.

And communities across far western New South Wales are already digging deep, with over $42,000 raised ahead of tomorrow’s live on-air and online auction, where more than 175 items will go under the hammer.

For a community station which started its life as a small school project on the suggestion of a science teacher at Bourke High School back in the seventies, 2WEB has certainly come a long way.

Today, 2WEB has one of the biggest coverage areas of any radio station in Australia – reaching rural communities from Lightning Ridge to Wilcannia – and is considered an essential service for outback listeners, providing a vital link to the outside world.

The Radiothon is a joint initiative between Outback Radio 2WEB and the Rotary Club of Bourke, with strong support from local businesses and individuals across the listening area.

Tomorrow, the Bourke Men’s Shed will be firing up the barbie for breakfast and lunch and the radio station will be an open house for people to pop in and say hello.

The auction will be live from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, July 19th. To place a bid, go to the 2WEB Facebook page and click the link under Features.

Update: At the close of Saturday’s auction, the total was sitting at $93,758.

*Image: Darren Masters, 2WEB and The Western Herald.