Community
17 September, 2024
‘Rock solid’ Prong helps out
Our region has many unsung heroes that do their bit, maybe during events like Cyclone Jasper, or simply in their day-to-day activities helping people that need a helping hand.
One such ‘good guy’ is Prong Trimble.
This true gentleman has been the voice and the rock of Toyah Cordingley’s family since that dreadful day on Wangetti Beach nearly six years ago.
It has been a long road for all concerned, particularly for the family and friends of Toyah.
Through Prong’s efforts, however, there has been an ongoing awareness of this shocking story, allowing Toyah’s memory never to be too far from the forefront of our minds.
The well-known car stickers are one great example that have become famous across the region, nationwide and even occasionally overseas.
Prong explained how the concept came about.
“I was sitting on my front deck at home and I was wondering how I could help,” he said.
“I had this idea of a little sticker on my bike helmet. It then went from that to a car bumper sticker and over 500,000 of them later, that’s what happened. There were even stickers on red phone boxes in London.”
In addition, there have been a number of large Toyah banners, the Wangetti Beach Memorial and fund raisers over the last few years.
Prong got to know Toyah’s family through his business in Cairns.
After the tragic news became public, he visited the family.
The story went, not only across Australia, but throughout the world.
Understandably Toyah’s family relatives were understandably not keen to talk to the media, so asked him to become their family spokesman.
He agreed and has been carrying out that role ever since.
A group of close friends, including Prong, recently visited Toyah’s memorial at Wangetti Beach and they agreed that the immediate area could do with a clean up and paint, prior to the six anniversary of the tragic day on October 21, 2018.
I’m off to discover some more of our local shining stars, so for now it’s Gazza signing out.
Send your stories to gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au
