The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) has thrown its support behind a cattle drive which seeks to raise awareness of organ donation in Australia.
The drive, Herd of Hope, plans to muster 40 head of cattle on Bondi Beach on Saturday, 17 March, with each animal sponsored by individuals, companies or organisations to the value of $1000.
The cattle will be transported to Bondi, then herded into a specially erected enclosure on the southern end of Bondi Beach at daybreak, where dignitaries and guests will gather to support organ donation and transplant causes.
At the end of the morning’s activities, the animals will be transported to their new home on a property near Goulburn, NSW.
Australia has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world, at less than 20 donors per million registered and 1500 Australians waiting for a transplant at any given time.
One in three organ and tissue recipients is from rural or regional NSW, though every transplant is conducted in a tertiary hospital in a major city.
“It is important to raise awareness of organ donation and the Herd of Hope charity is doing so in a unique way,” event organiser Lizzie Mazur said.
“Bringing cattle onto Bondi Beach will create conversations about the differences in living in the country to city life, raising the issue of access to health care and mental health services.
“Through our charity we will help those in rural areas have improved access to mental health support by developing initiatives for both donor families and transplant recipients."
