Sometimes the strength of a community is most visible when people come together for those who need it most.
Following the devastating earthquake in Colombia, the Colombian community in Australia rallied together to raise funds for Red Cross efforts in Colombia β and we were incredibly grateful to play a small part in supporting them.
On Sunday, 16 August, volunteers from the Colombian community came together across 12 Harris Farm stores to run fundraising BBQs, giving their time, energy and plenty of Colombian spirit to support those affected by the earthquake.
The BBQs formed part of a much bigger community fundraising effort across Australia that raised an incredible $112,000.
For us, the most special part of the day was seeing so many people come together for one purpose.
A community effort
A huge thank you goes to Sandra Harris and the Colombian community, who brought the day to life.
From setting up early in the morning and firing up the BBQs, to speaking with customers, collecting donations and keeping the sausages sizzling, the volunteers were at the heart of the day.
Our customers also showed incredible generosity. Whether you stopped for a sausage, made a donation or simply shared your support with the volunteers β thank you.
Harris Farm was proud to support the community through our Neighbourhood Goodness program, coordinating the BBQs and providing the food, marquees, signage and other essentials needed to make the day possible.
And we certainly didn't do that alone.
Thank you to our generous partners
A number of our suppliers and partners stepped forward to help us get 12 BBQs up and running at short notice.
A special thank you to Black Forest Smokehouse, who generously helped supply sausages for the BBQs, and Sur Direct, who donated their chimichurri to add a little taste of Latin America to the day.
We'd also like to recognise the businesses that came together to help provide brand-new BBQ equipment for the events:
Allied Facilities, Iannelli Bros, JPC Management Group, Amptek Services, Trolley Data Management Network, Milton Tradings, and our other generous contributing partners.
Your support helped give the Colombian volunteers everything they needed to focus on what mattered most β bringing people together and raising funds for their community back home.
12 stores, one community
The BBQs took place at Harris Farm Manly, Marrickville, Majura Park, Cammeray, Lane Cove, Cooks Hill, Willoughby, Dural, Bondi Beach, Rose Bay, Isle of Capri and West End.
To our store teams who helped prepare everything behind the scenes and welcomed the volunteers into their stores, thank you for making it happen.
But above all, this day belonged to the Colombian community.
We feel incredibly fortunate that our stores could provide a place for people to come together, share food, show their support and help a community facing an extraordinarily difficult time.
The $112,000 raised across the broader Australian appeal is a wonderful reminder of what can happen when a community rallies around those who need it.
Juntos somos mΓ‘s fuertes. Together, we are stronger. π¨π΄β€οΈ
Β
