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May 22, 2019
FREE
Deb doubles denim dollars
The Cooroy Lifeline Denim Sale is over for another year and what a sale it was. Cooroy Lifeline Manager and organiser of the now famous annual sale, Deb Daybell, and her band of volunteers raised a whopping $71,207.65 with all funds going to Lifeline’s Crisis Support and Suicide Prevention Hotline. The amount raised is almost double what was raised last year and Deb credits in part to being able to move the venue from the CWA Hall to the larger space in Cooroy Memorial Hall to fill with all things denim and country. It comes as no surprise that Deb already had the hall in mind in mind for the denim sale when she organised a mega raffle in 2017 which raised over $8000 to help revamp of the hall. In fact, nothing this diminutive dynamo can achieve is surprising. As a young woman Deb lived in Mackay where she made a living as a Pro Fisher before moving to the Sunshine Coast where she started working as a volunteer for Lifeline in Noosaville before gaining the manager’s position at Cooroy 20 years ago. Her successful Lifeline fundraising endeavours have included toy sales, fashion parades and other themed events but the Denim Sale is her real coup. She has taken what began as a small in-store sale 13 years ago to the incredible success it is today. Sadly, Deb’s passion for the Suicide Prevention Hotline comes from a very personal experience. She was only 24 when her father committed suicide, a tragedy that still makes her cry and to which she
attributes her drive to help people. “There are so many people who need help and someone to reach out to,” says Deb. “The Lifeline Hotline receives over a million calls each year and it takes money to man those phones so I’m over the moon with the amount raised from the Denim Sale this year. I’m really happy with all the great feedback I’ve received as well. Everyone’s only had positive things to say and hopefully everyone walked away with a great bargain,” she said. “Everything at the Denim Sale is sourced from the Sunshine Coast. It’s stored in the warehouse at Kunda Park and Deb Meikle from Lifeline in Nambour and I go down and sort through it all. It’s a massive job but very rewarding,” said Deb. “There’s so many people I’d like to thank for their assistance this year, especially our sponsors – Bendigo Bank, Cooroy Rag, Otter-B Signs, Hargraves Real Estate, Hot Gas, Cooroy Legal, German Bakehouse and Hinternoosa Realty. I’d also like to thank Nicole and her students from Noosa District State High School who did such a great job modelling and Rhys Lloyd, a student at the school for making us an advert and putting it on Facebook and Youtube. So many helpers and people to thank, especially my hard working volunteers. I couldn’t do it without you.” Congratulations Deb. We can’t wait for next year! And remember, if you or someone you know needs help, the Lifeline Crisis and Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 13 11 14.