Model trains have made more than an $11,000 difference to Hospice South Canterbury funds over the past few years.
Earlier this month, Model Rail Expo organiser Andrew Milliken handed over $2750 to hospice general manager Peter O’Neill, the proceeds from this year’s expo.
That sum brings the expo’s total contribution to hospice to $11,750 since 2019.
The model railway expo, held every two years during the July school holidays, provides a chance for local and out-of-town exhibitors to showcase their layouts to the public.
This year’s two-day event brought in more than 1400 people to look at the 15 different layouts.
Mr Milliken said exhibitors looked forward to the expo and it was a great family event, generating a lot of interest.
“It’s great for our hobby, and also a lot of non-hobby people just want to support hospice, being such a well-known charity that we feel is essential in our local community,” he said.
Mr O’Neill said the money from the model railway expo contributed to the $1.9 million hospice needed to raise annually through grants, fundraising, and donations.
“This is a big part of that, the community groups who do go out of their way to support hospice,” Mr Mr O’Neill said.
- Nick Monaco is a Roncalli College student gaining work experience at The Courier via the Gateway programme.
