PHOTO: Coonamble Rotary Club President Jackie Harris (far left) and Secretary Keith Glover (far right) formally thanked Pam and Peter Bach from Sydney for their ongoing donations to the Coonamble community with a special Rotary award last week.
The Coonamble Rotary Club has formally recognised a couple who have gone above and beyond for many years to ensure local mums feel special on Mother’s Day.
Peter Bach from the Liverpool Rotary Club and his wife Pam have been travelling to Coonamble for the last seven years delivering special gifts in the form of pamper packs.
Making their latest delivery last Thursday 14 April, Mr Bach said their relationship with the town first began during the drought to give mothers a gift to make them feel special during a difficult time.
“The idea was that when the farmers come in when the grain was coming in, they could take back a pamper pack for the wife, who would normally spend their money on the kids and the family rather than on herself, for Mother’s Day,” Mr Bach said.
“It sort of spread from there. Every year, we probably bring up at least 96 packs – one year I think we did 108.
“We live in an over 55s village and we put the word out there that the Rotarians are looking for bits and pieces as donations.”
While she is not a member of Rotary herself, the idea actually came from Mrs Bach, who also assembles each and every pack to ensure everyone who receives one has something special to look forward to.
“I put in things she would like for herself like hand creams, nail polishes, lipsticks, nice soaps, things like that,” she said.
“Each one’s slightly different. They might have bed socks or a little purse or some sort of a gift as well, just whatever we get donated we spread them around.”
“The average value on each tube is about $80,” Mr Bach said.
While they initially relied on outside help to transport the packs from Sydney to Coonamble, the Bachs now make the trip every year themselves after one year when they didn’t reach town until after Mother’s Day.
The packs are then distributed by Coonamble Rotary however the Bachs did recall one year visiting the Koonambil aged care facility when they saw how much it meant for the older mothers to receive them.
“When they get the tube of contents, they put two arms around it and they do not let it out of their sight,” Mr Bach said.
“That’s the beauty of it, when you see that, everythings worthwhile.”
Coonamble Rotarians Jackie Harris and Keith Glover have built up a friendship with the Bachs over these years.
“I thought it was marvelous because there’s a lot of ladies up in Koonambil and Towri Units, even in the hospital, that mightn’t see family over Mother’s Day,” Ms Harris said.
“And to get a gift and watch the look on their faces is always priceless.
“We used to give them to Carinda and Quambone and last year we gave them out to the elderly ladies in the community and ones we knew had cancer – there were a lot of tears.”
A few weeks ago, Mr Glover said he decided he wanted to do something more for the Bachs this year than their regular thanks by awarding them both with Paul Harris Fellows.
The Paul Harris Fellow is an award that acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1000 USD to Rotary International.
“You donate $1000 to get 1000 points and we had 2000 odd points in credit so we were able to get them each a Paul Harris Fellow,” Mr Glover said.
“In Rotary, you don’t go out looking for recognition but it’s a big acknowledgement and it means a lot to a Rotarian to receive,” Mrs Harris added.
The awards are initially represented by a special pin, with a blue stone set in them to acknowledge each subsequent award.
Mr and Mrs Bach have both received Paul Harris Fellows in the past – you don’t have to be a Rotarian to receive one – and while they were honoured by the recognition, they said that wasn’t what drives them to keep coming back.
“While I appreciate it, I’ve said to them I don’t come up here for recognition – we do it for the people at the other end,” Mr Bach said.
“It’s also not a one-man show, people bring the products in and I’m happy to get the donations and do it in my time,” Mrs Bach said.