One of the best parts of my job is giving away prizes. My favorite promotion each year is Hitz Helping Hands. We team up with 40 local Bundaberg businesses to help people in need. For three weeks we ask listeners to nominate someone going through a tough time and what a response we got. This year we had more than 500 entries.
With $33,000 to give away, we helped 43 people. Each recipient was deserving, but it was Dee’s nomination of her sister, Angela, that has stayed with me.
Angela and her husband were by their other sister, Rochelle’s, side while she underwent an amputation and cancer treatment. Angela had maxed out their credit card to pay for accommodation and food to be with her sister in Brisbane, as one week turned into five, and infection set in at the amputation site.
When Rochelle’s cancer returned, it was Angela supporting her, organising appointments, speaking with Brisbane specialists and taking Rochelle to her appointments in Bundaberg and Brisbane. Angela was by her side while she underwent more surgery to remove cancerous tumors and lymph nodes.
Both Angela and her husband Dave had taken time off work, leaving their two children and pets with family, to be Rochelle’s medical advocate and fight for her every step of the way. They did this despite the financial, physical and mental toll it took on them. Thanks to the generous support of local businesses, Hitz939 was able to help them out with $1000 to ease some of the burden.
Hitz Helping Hands really opens peoples’ eyes to the struggles their fellow residents are going through. We had parents nominating their sporty kids to help with travel to a representative game (we have so many talented kids in our community!). We had kids nominating parents, who they could see were struggling and just wanted to help. Neighbours nominated neighbours. Students nominated teachers, who were going through a tough time. Co-workers nominated each other.