A CUTE little MG3 will soon be making its way to cattle country in Normanton on the western side of the Cape.
Sam Ssamusew won the $16,000 car in the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s Arrow Experience art union.
“I’ve won things before, but it’s not every day you find out you’ve won a car,” Mr Ssamusew said.
He bought the tickets in his 13-year-old daughter Natasha’s name, never dreaming she would win.
“We were coming to the hospital to see the doctors about my knee replacement and every time we went past the car, we bought some tickets. So that last time Natasha wanted to buy some tickets and I only had a $10 note left in my wallet so I said just use it,” he said.
“We’ll either keep the car for when she’s old enough, or we’ll sell it and put the money in her bank account.”
The car was part of the Foundation’s MG Arrow Experience – a fundraising walk of the arrows of Mt Whitfield.
While the event had to be cancelled due to COVID-19, tickets were still available in the car, with $36, 686 raised to help the Older Persons Unit at Cairns Hospital.
The 2020 MG Arrow Experience was raising funds for cognitively impaired patients in hospital. Staff at the Cairns Hospital OPERA Unit plan to make the hospital environment less confusing for these patients.
OPERA Nurse Unit Manager Jane Jordan said she and her staff were very grateful and excited to receive the funds.
“Often it’s distressing and confusing to be away from your loved ones and in an unfamiliar and chaotic environment. This money will be well used to ensure our beautiful patients are cared for on a comfortable and supportive ward with a design that is dementia-friendly,” Ms Jordan said.
Foundation CEO Tony Williamson said the amount raised was a great result in a difficult year.
“We know many people in the community have been having a difficult time but to achieve this result is actually a great outcome for patients in hospital,” Mr Williamson said.
Some of the Foundation’s Friends groups in Innisfail, Mareeba, Atherton and Tully also said tickets in the car, with funds from tickets sold in those communities, staying local.
“We did that because those small communities were hurting too and we wanted to give those Friends groups a hand,” Mr Williamson said.
Michael Moore, sales manager of Trinity Auto, was delighted to support the Foundation by supplying a car, for the second time.
“The Foundation does great things in our community and we’re pleased to support them to help make our hospitals better,” Mr Moore said.
Photo: Sam Ssamusew, Michael Moore of Trinity Auto, Tony Williamson, Jane Jordan and Natasha Ssamusew.
