Joel Guilder, Elyse Oeser, Hector Santostefano, Aiden Oeser and Serena Bleckwehl helping out after the club received a delivery from Big Wet Spring Water.
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For a town of 260-odd people, footy is in Longwood’s heartbeat. The recovery efforts of the Redlegs confirms this.
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On Sunday, January 11, just three days after the Longwood fire began, posts of members lending a hand to those in need started to circulate on the local footy club’s Facebook page.
In the days since, members hve been seen helping out local firies, watering down the smoky land, and offering aid to those in need.
Club president Rick Shiner said he and his members understood the severity of the fires early on.
Local CFA volunteers at the local footy ground.
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“Everything kicked into gear basically straight away, from Thursday. That was probably when I really started to get a handle on the gravity of the situation,” Mr Shiner said.
“There were a number of players who pitched in and tried to help with keeping people’s properties safe, and blacking out any hotspots.
“We were doing that all weekend until Sunday night, and from there, we started to try to help remove trees and limbs, and standing fences back up as best we can to help people retain the livestock they’ve got.”
The club has since opened a small relief hub, which, Mr Shiner said, “we’re sort of making it up on the fly because needs change from day to day”.
From clothes and nappies to pantry foods, the netball courts have been host to an abundance of staple items assisting those who may have lost everything.
Mr Shiner said that while his thoughts had been primarily overrun with ways to help the town, he was also thinking of the loss the club had faced in the blaze.
Elizabeth Howe fed CFA brigade members overnight on Sunday, January 11.
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“From a club point of view, and it’s a minor issue at the moment, but our ground is in a state of disrepair — it’s got trucks parked on it, we don’t have water, the surfaces are uneven,” he said.
“It’s so important for our club to be at home training and playing our games in the community, the community need it.
“Sport is a space for our kids, and so many of our juniors have been affected, so we need to be there.”
Mr Shiner added that the club was more than happy to put all its effort into helping out the community, despite having concerns about the upcoming season and where it would be based.
“We’re doing it because it’s our community. They’re our people. We know them, we care for them,” he said.
“When the chips have been down at the club, they’ve been there for us. It’s what small communities are all about — it’s a pretty special thing, and a lot of bigger towns could probably learn from small communities and what they do.
“It’s been something else, something that I’ve never witnessed before ... Every aspect of what the community has done in Longwood has been phenomenal.”
To support the club and its relief efforts, visit its Facebook page.
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