Community
20 December, 2024
Qantas comes bearing gifts
QANTAS and the Red Cross have joined forces to bring some festive cheer to Mossman State School students and families who were hit by flash flooding after Cyclone Jasper a year ago.
About 350 gifts donated by Qantas staff were delivered via a ‘Dash-er’ 8 Q400 aircraft which touched down at Cairns Airport last week.
It was welcome comfort for the children, some of whom lost everything while some also lost their homes and their family businesses.
The donated presents, by Qantas employees from Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns, included stationery kits, action figures, books, boardgames, Lego and soft toys, as well as Australian Red Cross ‘trauma teddies, hand-knitted by Australian Red Cross members and volunteers.
Setting off in a Christmas convoy, Australian Red Cross staff, volunteers and Qantas staff delivered the gifts to the school as part of a community preparedness day.
School principal Randal Smith said the donation of presents was helping make Christmas even more special for a community that was struck by devastation 12 months ago.
“Last week marked one year since ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper devastated our community and we’re still recovering from it,” he said.
“With Christmas a few sleeps away, these gifts are an incredible reminder to our community that they aren’t alone, and that there are people thinking of them this festive season.”
