So Dance dancers performed on stage.
April 5th was a night of support, respect and smiles as Junee Business and Trades held a fundraiser to support local businesses affected by the fire that tore through the businesses’ building. These businesses are working hard to rebuild, and the money raised by the event will be a big leap for the town.
There were many items up for auction on the night which all were donated by the various businesses in Junee, even Lauren Jackson had items up for grabs.
The fire that devastated So Dance Junee, Brick Lane Sewing and Glass Hardware in Junee have not been forgotten by the community who still work to help those affected businesses.
Tony Butt of JBT said it was a fantastic day. “A hundred and fifty people turned up. We had a mile of auction items from all the different business houses and we had a guest appearance from Laurie Daley,” he said.
“We are not sure how much money we raised just yet, but it is a substantial amount.
“The money goes towards the two businesses lost in the recent fire and Junee Business and Trades held the function to try and help them out.
“Thankfully the community backed us and we got what we wanted out of it. The girls are very appreciative. It’s not going to buy a business for them but it is going to help them get back on their feet again.
“The Athenium was a very good venue for what we were doing. We were able to utilise their commercial kitchen, tables and chairs and we had the So Dance girls do a couple of performances on stage.
“We also had the Vanuatu guys from the abattoirs perform on stage and also a young lady who did some vocals and she was very good.
“Then we had Rumbletown with their group entertaining between dance sessions. It was a top night.
“We are very appreciative that the community along with the business houses got behind us and donated and sponsored the event. Without them, we couldn’t have done it. We are only the conduit between them and the girls.”
Shannon Oke of So Dance was appreciative of the fundraiser, saying she continues to be overwhelmed with support.
“It was really successful. Everyone certainly seemed like they had a really goodnight. A few people had said to me we probably need to do those sorts of events more often as a town, which I think is really lovely. I think all in all it was very well received,” she said.
“I’m pretty passionate about all my students. The fact that so many people were willing to give up their time in the organising and then pay for a ticket and come and support the kids is absolutely amazing. I’m really overwhelmed that people are keen to have the kids back in their own space, however that looks. It’s nice that people care enough to get them back running in a nice safe space for them because that was always the point to having our own space in the first place was that each of the students had a nice safe environment that they could come and explore and just be themselves.
“That was really important to me that we were able to find a space and rebuild that sense of safety for all the kids.
“We’ve been lucky enough that the council has been making the Theatre available to us for a couple of nights a week and we’ve also got access to Belling Hall up at the Showgrounds. That’s our base essentially. They’ve allowed us to move in there with the space that’s available there.
“We’ve still got a long way to go. We run two classes at once most days so we’re trying to do that at Belling Hall and then we have our bigger classes that just will not fit at Belling Hall at the Theatre. “As far as infrastructure and getting the space up to where we’d like it, we’ve still got a ways to go, but certainly have been overwhelmed with the offers of venue, and we’ve had lots of offers. It’s just that the Theatre and Belling Hall were the most practical long term for us because it’s going to take a while before we can even think about rebuilding our own space.
“We’ve certainly got a bit of a way to go in making the space usable completely, aircon, mirrors, some dividing walls, bearing in mind that we also need to make sure that the space is usable for anybody else that needs to get into Belling Hall while we’re tenanting it. We’re getting there.
“The kids have all been so flexible and adaptable and enthusiastic about being in the new spaces and that’s been really heartwarming to see that the kids were just happy to be back together, it was kind of cool as well.
“As far as the business owners go, we are obviously all very heartbroken. I mean, they were passion businesses, let’s be honest. We are getting there, just doing our thing, but I know certainly my clients, my parents and my kids have been really, really supportive and just enthusiastic to be back together.
“My troop team, particularly the young girls that performed on the weekend, they also did a performance at Banjo a couple of weeks ago, they’re particularly resilient those girls because they lost all of their competition costumes and they’ve been asked to jump back on the stage without their gorgeous costumes and dance anyway, so that’s a show of resilience for them that they’re still up there even without the right costuming on, they’re still just willing to get up there and give it a go and a lot of them I have taught since they were three turning four.
“A lot of the girls that danced on Saturday night I’ve literally had since they were in preschool. They’ve seen the whole journey of where the studios come from, which is nice, but also it’s a bit sad for them. We’re still doing it, still getting there.
“I really want to reiterate a huge thank you to the community that rallied behind the event last night and even on the day and people that are still checking in on myself and the Callow girls and JBT and Junee Shire for all they’ve done in getting the event off the ground.
“I did try and get around to as many JBT members and thank them personally on the night, but there are always people that you can’t quite get to. A huge thank you to everybody that’s shown any level of support, whether it’s big or small since the event.”
It’s amazing to see the community come together in such an incredible way.
-Jack Murray
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