Global victory

GKN Aerospace Engineering pipped Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty in the final five seconds of the ebay auction on Thursday to secure the sample of pure Wimmera Drought listed by the Mail-Times.

The company, which has offices in the UK, US and Australia, has raised about $12,500 through its GKN Rural Connection Project to benefit rural communities.

Melbourne-based human resources officer and fund-raising co-ordinator Brooke Rohde said the company matched all money raised through the project `dollar-for-dollar' and donated the funds to international children's charity Global Angels.

"So the money we bid on the Wimmera Drought, $172.50, will be matched by the company and given to Global Angels. The money we raise from the GKN Rural Connection project goes into rural communities and also a program which helps raise government grants for people in rural areas. So we're effectively helping two people at once," she said.

Miss Rohde said news of the Wimmera Drought auction had travelled `far and wide' with the company's Melbourne office alerted to the sale by one of its overseas teams.

"We have an integration team in the US and one of their members has family in the Wimmera," she said.

"So they were aware of the auction and our initiative here, so they sent us an email about it."

Miss Rohde promised the Wimmera the company would adhere to the strict guidelines on the side of the sample and make sure the Wimmera Drought would not be escaping any time soon.

She said the container of soil, collected from an Exceptional Circumstances-declared paddock at Lower Norton on April 20, would be secured in a large frame and displayed at GKN Aerospace Engineering's Port Melbourne office.

"It will not escape," she said.

Mail-Times editor Rod Case was thrilled the drought message was being heard far and wide.

"We put the sample of Wimmera Drought on ebay to raise awareness that the drought is not over as has been reported in some metropolitan media and to raise money for drought relief," he said.

"It's fantastic a world company won the auction and the message we were trying to get out was not only heard in Melbourne, but in America.

"We should also thank Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty who really drove this auction in State Parliament.

"It was interesting that although Mr Delahunty challenged all politicians to support the auction, he was the only one to put his money where his mouth was.

"We have another sample of drought which will be auctioned next week. That will be a chance for pollies to back up their words with action."