ARARAT couple Brodie Hunter and Georgia Lawson have been fundraising for bushfire-affected communities for just six days and have already collected hundreds of items.
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Since they announced their fundraiser they have spent most nights sorting donations at Mitre 10 in Ararat, where store manager Mark Sullivan has donated space to be a drop off and storage point.
They will personally deliver the items in about a week's time.
"It's amazing the amount of people that have been coming in, and they are surprised to see what's been donated as well and the volume of it," Mr Sullivan said.
Mr Hunter said he and Ms Lawson will have to organise two vehicles to transport the goods down, rather than the one originally planned.
"It's a lot more than we expected," he said. "We expected some water and a little bit of food to fill the trailer and the ute, but we've filled another trailer and another ute.
"We've had people from Stawell, Horsham and Lake Bolac donate."
They have been liaising closely with disaster recovery groups and the Bairnsdale Rotary Club to ensure only items of use are delivered.
"We are asking mostly for water, nappies and the essential things that people are going to run out of," Mr Hunter said.
Businesses are getting behind the cause too. Stacpoole Mechanical Services and Harris Automotive have each offered trailers to help transport the load.
A local family has also volunteered to help with the driving during the six-hour trip to East Gippsland.
Ms Lawson and Mr Hunter also recently made a decision to extend fundraising to include a Go Fund Me set up for Chelsea Quick and her family, after they lost everything in a fire at their property last Sunday.
"We had a couple of gift vouchers donated to us (for the family) for Aldi," Mr Hunt said. "We'll try and do something for them as well. They've lost everything."
Anyone who wants to know what and where to donate can visit the Facebook page, B& G Fire Relief.
Mitre 10 Ararat and the Stawell Library are both serving as drop-off points.
To donate to the Quick family, click here.
Are you doing something to help bushfire-affected communities? Let us know at jessieanne.gartlan@araratadvertiser.com.au, or 0439 225 010.
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