Shepparton RSL and Shepparton Club combine for bushfire relief

Shepparton Fire Brigade chairman Kevin Krake said he was "taken aback" by the donation, but then immediately started to consider where the money could go.

“We’re looking at a number of ideas of using the money, but the prime one at the moment would be getting washing machine facilities into all the brigades in the area,” he said.

“Turns out bushfire fighting gear is not very nice to wash with the family washing [because of the firefighting chemicals], which volunteers have been doing in the past.

“We'll make sure the money is shared among the brigades in the Shepparton area.”

Shepparton RSL president Bob Wilkie said he wanted the club to do something in support of local volunteer firefighters.

“After the bushfires, I spoke to general manager Grant Tarrant and asked him what we can do,” he said.

“He came back with this idea, which I thought was really good.”

Shepparton Club president April Hipwell said the donation reflected the clubs’ commitment to people in the region.

“Obviously the bushfires have touched so many people's lives,” she said.

“We're both community clubs and this outreach shows we are behind them 100 per cent.”

Ms Hipwell said while some might say the clubs were rivals, they wanted to get along and had plans for future joint donations.

“Our relationship is like whether you choose to get along with your mother-in-law or not,” she said.

“We're two clubs together for a good cause.”

The support for bushfire relief will continue across the Australia Day weekend, with both clubs as well as the Overlander Hotel, the Terminus Hotel, the Aussie Hotel and the Sherbourne Hotel joining in the Victoria Bitter Bushfire Relief effort from Friday until Monday.

Carlton & United Breweries have donated up to two Victoria Bitter kegs to these pubs and clubs as part of a national fundraiser, with all proceeds from the kegs going to the Rotary Clubs of Australia Bushfire Disaster Fund.