Victoria Stone-Meadows

Mossman Youth Services will hit the ground running with new programs after receiving a generous donation from the Douglas Shire community. 

A trivia night fundraising event at the Central Hotel last night saw about 170 people pack out the venue’s beer garden and raise a tidy $9000 in donations.

Youth Development Coordinator Sara Harris said the money had already been allocated to new programs to help stop the spread of violence among young people.

“I have already engaged with Relationships Australia and on Monday we have a meeting established around structuring a workshop for the identified need of domestic violence and healthy relationships education,” she said. 

“Other organisations such as TRUE and YETI have identified and shared a willingness to come and support workshops around that also.”

Harris said there has been a trend in young people in the Douglas Shire towards violent behaviour but Mossman Youth Services are dedicated to changing attitudes.

“What we are finding is young people are starting to mirror their peers in the home and domestic violence is becoming prevalent in young people,” she said.

“Our object is to address and intervene and give better knowledge of what a healthy relationship is.”

When the Mossman Youth Services was picked as the recipient of the finds raised at the trivia night, Harris said she couldn’t believe her luck.

“It was a gift from the gods or wherever,” she said. 

“It was an opportunity that couldn’t be refused and the awareness that has been raised and the support of the community of Douglas Shire has been breathtaking and overwhelming.”

K-Star Trivia organiser, Kevin Eldridge, said the turn-out at the trivia night and the support from the community was “fantastic.”

“People were paying above value for auction items, giving double donations and more, it was just amazing,” he said.

“It was an overwhelming success and we were thrilled with the turn out; I’m a bit lost for words.”

K-Star and the Central Hotel will be running eight more fundraising nights in 2019.