Previously it is the rowers to stick their oars in and young farmers who whip off the overalls. But this year veterinary students worldwide are forgetting their white coats for worthy causes. And if you were under the impression that charitable disrobing was a quintessentially British past time, it’s time for a rethink. Now the Aussies are in on the action. This year’s Vets Uncovered naked charity calendar 2018 is raising money for The Barrumbuttock Hay Runners.

Students at the James Cook University of Veterinary Science aren’t the only upholders of charitable joie de vivre down under. The University of Sydney veterinary students have been going sans kit for over thirty years. Last year’s Free Range Vets calendar raised an impressive $10,000 AUD for Friends of the Hound Inc.

VETS UNCOVERED NAKED CHARITY CALENDAR 2018

James Cook University of Veterinary Science’s graduating students aren’t barking mad. Swapping white coats for canine coverage has been a fixture for final year students since 2015. Proceeds are for celebrating the end of a gruelling five years of studying at the annual Graduation Ball. And a percentage goes towards a noble cause chosen by the students.

This year’s charity of choice is The Barrumbuttock Hay Runners. “The Hay Runners are a charity that collects donated hay and rural supplies and delivers them out to farms struggling through the ongoing drought here in Australia. The last hay run alone donated over $6 million AUD worth of donated hay. All the trucks drivers donate their time and vehicles to the cause,” said Chelsea Crake of Vets Uncovered.

In 2014 Brendan ‘Bumpa’ Farrell heard about a farmer in Bourke (NSW) that was struggling in the drought. He contacted the farmer and offered to bring him a truck load of hay to help him out. From that the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners was born. Since that date in 2014 they have completed 11 successful hay runs to help drought affected farmers all over NSW & QLD.

BHR is about mates helping mates in a time of need. Farmers impacted by drought often struggle to ask for help and many due to the financial strain of trying to keep the farm afloat also battle mental health issues.

Brendan and the BHR team know that the hay they deliver will only provide temporary relief but it’s about showing fellow Australian’s that someone cares about them.

All hay is donated from generous farmers all over Australia. The money fundraised and held in the Rotary Club bank account is used to fuel the trucks that transport the donated hay. No one in the Burrumbuttock Hay Run group are paid a wage, everyone is volunteers. This includes all the truck drivers who also donate the use of their trucks & machinery to load and unload the hay.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Sales of the calendar have sadly closed, but it’s never too late in the year to champion a cracking cause. For more information on The Barrumbuttock Hay Runners, visit their website or stay up to date with their work via Facebook.

And plans are already afoot for the 2019 instalment of Vets Uncovered. So next year’s charity will be RuralAid Australia. They provide assistance to farms adversely affected by droughts, flooding, fires and other natural disasters. For more information about RuralAid Australia and the 2019 calendar, visit the Vets Uncovered website.