Rhythm n Rail Festival proud to announce Junee VRA as Charity Partner

2018 Charity Partner Announced

Volunteer Rescue Association Logo
Volunteer Rescue Association
Junee Rhythm and Rail Festival Incorporated is proud to announce that the Volunteer Rescue Association’s Junee Rescue Squad will be our 2018 Charity Partner.

Rhythm n Rail Festival president, Nicholas Pyers, said “The Volunteer Rescue Association have provided so much logistical support to the Festival over many years, so it is with great pleasure that we announce the Festival will be actively supporting the local Junee Rescue Squad fundraising efforts.”

Mr Pyers continued “The VRA do such a wonderful job supporting our local community in times of need. We encourage all visitors to the Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival to support our local VRA Squad by purchasing a couple of raffle tickets each. There are some great prizes to be won!”

VRA Fundraiser — Easter Raffle

VRA Junee Rescue Branch's 2018 Easter Raffle
VRA Junee Rescue Branch’s
2018 Easter Raffle
During the 2018 Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival, the VRA Junee Squad will be selling tickets for their major annual fundraiser — An Easter Raffle.

Tickets will be on sale over the Festival weekend at following locations;

VRA’s strong ties to the Riverina

Tyson the Wombat, VRA's Mascot, accompanied by VRA Junee Rescue Branch volunteer Lee Rowe and her grandchildren leads the inaugural Rhythm n Rail Street Parade.
Tyson the Wombat, VRA's Mascot, , accompanied by VRA Junee Rescue Branch volunteer Lee Rowe and her grandchildren, leads the Festival’s inaugural Street Parade.
[2017 Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival]
The VRA have a long association with the districts along the Murrumbidgee River; with the first VRA General Land Rescue Squad forming in 1950 around Wagga Wagga to assist police with rescue and recovery operations out of the river. They also provided flood rescues and evacuations, in addition to ferrying of food and medical supplies between isolated communities within the Riverina region.

Shortly afterwards Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad also became involved in general land rescues. In 1969, Wagga Wagga, along with several other Riverina Squads, met and formed the Volunteer Rescue Association. Since then, VRA Rescue Squads have been established in over 50 communities across New South Wales, including Junee.

Services provided by the Volunteer Rescue Association

VRA Junee Rescue Squad  Truck
VRA Junee Rescue Squad Truck
 

Mock Emergency Scenario
November 2017 saw the VRA and other emergency services conduct a Mock Emergency Scenario in Junee.
 
View Prime 7 News coverage »

The NSW Volunteer Rescue Association provide support to the population of NSW twenty four hours per day, seven days per week.

The VRA are often the first responders to vehicular incidents in regional NSW. They assist the other NSW Emergency Services like NSW Rural Fire Service; NSW State Emergency Service; NSW Police Service; NSW Ambulance Service and Fire & Rescue NSW. Through task related standardisation of equipment, communications, training and command structure, VRA Squads are readily combined to form larger units during major incidents.

The NSW VRA can be called out by any person in NSW but the primary call out source is the NSW Police Service.

In the reporting period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 the NSW VRA attended:

  • 7,499 incidents which involved 76,932 operational hours
  • Assisted 6,588 persons
  • Extricated 274 persons
  • Removed 88 deceased persons

Over & above this, their members spent 107,534 hours in training, meetings, regional exercises, fundraising & equipment maintenance.

About the Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival

Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival LogoFor more information about the Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival please visit our website www.RhythmNRail.com

The Second Weekend in March each year sees the township of Junee, NSW transform into a hive of activity with thousands of visitors and local residents joining the celebrations of Junee’s unique rail heritage and to dance to the rhythm of the tracks. In 2014 the Junee Rhythm n Rail Festival was the winner of the NSW Inland Tourism “Community Festivals and Events” Award.

The Junee Rhythm and Rail Festival is a community-organised major event. March 9-11 2018 will be the Festival’s Tenth Anniversary.

Additional Images


Caption for use with additional images: VRA Junee Rescue Branch volunteers, along with other local emergency services, participate in a Mock Emergency Scenario. November 2017, Junee.