Club director Gail Mayer did a whip around the Bulwer Street venue on Friday night, collecting donations and the club matched them and all told the club donated $543.10.  

League Club president Ken McGregor praised the generosity of the members and Ms Mayer for initiating the collection. “A lot of our members who were there on Friday night are retired or pensioners, so every bit of money counts for them,” he said.

Four-year-old Charlie Marsh from Lochinvar, together with his mother Melissa and sister Ashley, 2, were among the stream of generous people to visit the Mercury’s premises at 6/555 High Street, Maitland, yesterday with bags of goods to be donated to the appeal.

Charlie said that he had received lots of new toys for Christmas and wanted to donate some of his to the children in Coonabarabran who had lost theirs in the bushfire.

Mrs Marsh read about the appeal in the Mercury and said it was a story that touched their hearts.

“We nearly lost everything in a house fire several years ago and understand what it must be like for the people in Coonabarabran” she said.

The appeal was kicked off last Friday by Maitland man Kevin Flaus, whose daughter Jodie Lawrence, her husband Jason and two children escaped from their Warrumbungle property with only 20 minutes to spare. 

“From not only my family but from everyone in Coonabara­bran, thank you for all your donations,” Mr Flaus said. 

“We will not stop until everyone is back on their feet.” 

The first truckload of ­donated goods bound for Coonabarabran will leave Maitland later this week. 

The Maitland Mercury will collect goods on behalf of Mr Flaus at its offices in 6/555 High Street, Maitland. Cash donations can be made to the Maitland Mercury’s Coonabarabran Appeal at the Maitland Mutual Building Society. 

Goods needed include clothes, blankets, sheets, towels, children’s clothes and toys, non-perishable food items and cooking utensils.

Please do not donate mattresses, wardrobes, broken toys, perishables.