When Prime Minister Tony Abbott was in Mudgee last Friday night, just a few blocks away the generous heart of Mudgee was beating at it best.
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A benefit night for Henry Fisher turned into one of the most uplifting events I have ever been a part of.
Henry broke his neck playing for the Mudgee Dragons just 10 days earlier.
Such is the regard for this gentle man and his family, in quick time the good people put together a fundraiser at Club Mudgee.
More than 300 turned up, not looking for an auction bargain but to show Henry this town looks after its own when hard times hit.
Henry was there in an uncomfortable neck brace with wife Tanya and their children.
They were overwhelmed at the show of support, the generosity of spirit.
For all that, it was Henry’s pre-auction speech that enriched the audience far beyond what they were about to give.
In his gentle Fijian lilt, the eloquence of Henry had the robust crowd hanging on his every word.
He spoke of love for a town and its people that had given him a chance at a good life.
It’s a speech that should be enshrined on public record, for Henry reminded us of our good fortune to live in the valley and surrounds. Henry sees things we all too often take for granted.
Later in the evening Henry and a mate, with a little encouragement, sang a traditional Fijian homecoming song, substituting Mudgee for his homeland in the final verse. The speech and the song will long be remembered for there was hardly a dry eye in the room.
Expectations were the night might raise $40,000 dollars: In the end it was $75,000.
I am stunned at that figure.
Events and results like this highlight the very essence of regional Australia. Henry said he had been saved from financial ruin but as I walked out into Mudgee’s brisk night air, I felt a whole lot richer for what I had been a part of and I suspect so did everybody else. Sometimes you need a light.
Henry’s permanent smile and attitude is a tonic.
With that same spirit and drive, let’s go get ourselves a new hospital.