A group of men who set off on a raft affectionately known as ‘Shed down the Murray’ to raise money for prostate cancer earlier this month have now successfully completed their journey.
The group stopped in at various towns along the way, including Narrandera, to rest as well as raise awareness around prostate cancer.
They managed to raise just under $50,000, but the Federal Government matched each dollar they brought in, bringing the total to almost a whopping $100,000.
Team Leader Merv Hinneberg said that although they raised a lot of money for the cause, being able to speak to locals about it was just as important.
“We’re very pleased with the outcome,” Mr Hinneberg said.
“It wasn’t only about the money; it was the fact that we had Ruth Logan traveling with us by land and she is an education facilitator for ‘It’s a Bloke Thing’ foundation, so was able to talk to members of communities along the way about prostate cancer and research, which was more important than the money.”
The group travelled from Pittburgh, Queenslad, all the way down to Yarrawonga, Victoria, where they finally put their raft in the water and set off towards Swan Hill, which was around 600km downstream.
The journey took them around five days in total, with the men manning the raft two to three people at a time for 10-12 hours a day.
Despite such a risky journey down the Yarrawonga River, the group including Mr Hinneberg, were amateurs at rafting and had never attempted anything like it before.
They powered ahead and built the raft completely out of recycled materials, 55-gallon blue barrels, and donated composite fibre beams.
According to Mr. Hinneberg, it had long been a dream of his as he had grown up on the Murray and he finally got the chance to do it.
“I grew up in the Murray, and I’ve always wanted to do it, but I never thought I’d get the opportunity because I’m over 70 now,” he said.
“I came up with the idea and the guys rolled around the floor laughing for around half an hour,and when they picked themselves up, they started talking about what role they could fill and what they could do, and we started getting donations, and it started from there.”
The raft has since been sold off in a charity auction held last Friday and will return to Pittsworth to be displayed in a location yet to be determined.
The group is also happy to be home, with some members currently nursing injuries from sitting on the raft for long hours.
Mr Hinneberg said that it was great to experience the hospitality of many of the towns they stopped by, including Narrandera.
“We got a lot of wonderful support along the way, especially around Narrandera,” Mr. Hinneberg said.
“We had a dinner on the night we arrived there and then the next morning the Mens Shed took us to a beautiful breakfast, and that was the trend all the way along… we received fantastic encouragement and support from all the towns we passed through; it was great.”
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 24 August 2023.
Related story: Shedders down the Murray stop in Narrandera
