Cancer charity Can Assist Orange raises $5000 through Return and Earn can and bottle collection fundraiser

For the past 12 months or so, the president of the Orange branch of cancer charity Can Assist and her team of volunteers have been picking up empty cans, bottle and cartons from wherever they can find them to raise funds for people in the Orange region who are affected by cancer.

"It doesn't worry me anymore - it really doesn't," she said, "because I know I'm helping people less fortunate than myself."

With the help of the community, Helen and her team have managed to collect tens of thousands of containers to run through Return and Earn machines.

Can Assist has also been a charity partner on the reverse vending machines at North and South Orange, enabling others returning bottles and cans to choose to donate to Can Assist.

So far, about $5000 has been raised to help cancer patients in the Orange region.

The campaign began as a way for Can Assist to continue to raise funds through COVID and lockdowns, which forced the charity to cancel many of its events.

Mrs Corby says it's been "the most amazing fundraiser" for Can Assist, a charity with 54 branches statewide that helps give people with cancer in rural, regional and non-metropolitan areas in NSW the opportunity to have fair and equitable access to cancer care and support services.

All money raised by Can Assist branches stays local and is provided confidentially and without means testing.

The Duntryleague Golf Club has been a major partner in the Orange Return and Earn fundraiser, installing two 240 litre bins near the Club House for container returns.

Two local volunteers Glenys and Roger Grimmett live close to Duntryleague and use their golf cart to drive around the course twice each week to pick up containers from the course bins and deliver to the club house.

Another volunteer Paul Blunden drives his old work van to pick up the containers to deliver to Return and Earn deposit points.

Canobolas Lions Club contributed with a donation of cans, and several other businesses around town now have container collections and returns.

Mrs Corby says people who come to the Return and Earn machines and see the Can Assist team there will also regularly donate their bottles and cans.

"It's just been amazing the way people in Orange have responded," she said.

Although Can Assist is no longer a charity partner on the machines, volunteers will continue to collect bottles and cans, Mrs Corby said.

"If we can make $5000 in a bit over 12 months we're definitely going to keep it going.

"It's an easy way to fundraise as well as doing our bit for the environment."

For more information or to get involved contact Helen Corby on 0408 971 945.

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