Legacy thanks Boorowa for backing local war widows

Legacy Yass/Boorowa has thanked the Boorowa community for its years of support, reminding residents that every dollar raised locally goes straight to the ex-service widows who need it. Legacy Yass/Boorowa president Bob Richardson met with local supporters on Friday 2 October to say thank you. "We know very well how much help you've given us over the years, and we've still got Legacy widows around," Mr Richardson said. "There are slowly decreasing numbers, including around here, but they are still out there, and some of them really need our support." The group looks after about 50 widows across a district that takes in Murrumbateman, Binalong, Boorowa and Yass. Much of that support is given confidentially. Each winter, widows receive a cheque to help with electricity bills, and at Christmas they receive a hamper and a cheque to help with holiday expenses. Richardson said the winter cheque was once known as the wood cheque, from the days when legatees would head out to chop wood and raffle barrel loads of it. "Our main role is simply to look out for the widows and try to help wherever we can," he said. He said Legacy Yass/Boorowa had no office expenses or overheads, with legatees paying an annual fee for the privilege of serving. "None of the money that is raised goes into anything except out for the widows," he said. Legacy also steps in when emergencies strike. "We pay for emergency stuff like clothes. People have fires. People have big medical bills," legatee Clive Shepherd said. Richardson recalled one of his widows losing everything in a house fire about three years ago. "She was left in her nightgown with absolutely nothing. She didn't even pick up her purse," he said. "I met her in Yass, and for the first time in my life I've had to walk into a chemist shop and buy all the ladies' requirements and toothbrushes and things. Legacy was able to help her out there." "Boorowa punches above its weight in terms of helping out. The people are very generous. We very rarely get a knockback for anything," he said. One of the district's most dedicated young fundraisers is Lilah Roffey, who has raised more than $1000 for Legacy over the past three or four years by hand-making poppies, including $430 this year. What began as something to do when she was bored has become a local favourite, with her poppies regularly selling out soon after they go on sale. There are now plans to share Lilah's poppy template with primary schools early in the year, possibly as part of a competition, to help spread the effort further. Richardson said all poppy money went into the local fund. "It just stays locally, and that's what we build these cheques from that go out to our widows, especially those who are living independently," he said. While the district no longer has any World War II widows, Richardson said the stories of that generation stayed with him. He delivered eulogies for two local veterans. One had been a prisoner of war in Changi and on the Burma Railway, and had told him how his leg ulcers got him pulled from a line of prisoners being picked to be sent to Japan. The ship that took the others was later torpedoed. "By sheer luck, my friend survived," Richardson said. "That's the sort of thing that happened in World War II." Legacy has no formal way of learning when an ex-service widow moves into the area, and Richardson has asked the community to help. "If you hear of people who are ex-service widows, the RSL knows how to get in touch with us," he said. "Just tip us off that there's someone that might need a bit of help."