Uki pub: one pub helps out another pub
MURWILLUMBAH businesses and Uki residents are coming to the aid of the historic hotel destroyed by fire on February 23.
Ozzie Tavern in Murwillumbah is hosting an event to help raise fund to refurbish the Mount Warning Hotel, once it is built.
Ozzie Tavern licensee Carolyn Frerker said the idea was hatched by a similar tragedy.
"We're doing it because our pub burnt down 31 years ago," Ms Frerker said.
"We know they had insurance but this is to help refurbish the place."
Ms Frerker said fundraisers were held at the tavern from time to time.
"Last year on the 30th anniversary of the fire here we had an event with money going to the rural fire brigade," she said.
The fundraiser is a music festival between 1pm -9pm on March 9 and includes raffles, blind auction and a sausage sizzle.
Wonderwash laundromat owner Joe Scholl has started a $100 club to raise $30,000 to send the hotel managers on holiday and to have a 'big day out' for the Uki community.
"Before the fire Brownie (Mount Warning Hotel licensee Geoff Brown) was planning to go on holidays in April," Mr Scholl said.
"Plus it (the $30,000) is some money to pay for managers while they are away. It's stuff not covered by insurance."
Mr Scholl said people can donate the money and their names will be put on a plaque at the pub when it is rebuilt.
Uki resident Geoff Schaefer has created the Friends of the Mount Warning Hotel Facebook page to get the word out about how people can help.
"There were a whole heap of people hanging around after the fire saying 'what can we do, what can we do?'," Mr Schaefer said.
"I compiled a database of people who we can contact quickly when something is being done and I created the Friends of the Mount Warning Hotel Facebook page so people can be kept informed when someone comes up with an idea."
