Sabrina Davis is raising funds for their farm fire units in K.I.
“This fundraiser isn’t about me and what I’ve lost – it’s about supporting the efforts of our farm fire unit legends.”
Despite Sabrina Davis and her young family losing their home in the devastating bushfires in January, the Kangaroo Island resident is focused on raising funds to support the farm fire units who are already preparing for the upcoming fire season.
“It was a horrible time. I had to leave my husband behind and evacuate to Kingscote with our two kids while he stayed and fought to save our family home with his brother and dad,” Sabrina said.
“Leaving Ben behind, not knowing what was going to happen or if I would ever see him again, is something I never want to experience again.”
It was during her healing that Sabrina developed a passion project called Humans of Kangaroo Island where she tells real stories of real people. Originally, the social media page was established as a way for the community to stay connected due to the bushfires and also COVID-19.
“I started it in August this year to bring people together and get to know more about each other during a time of disconnect. When I moved from Germany to Kangaroo Island 12 years ago I didn’t know a single person and I know how isolating that can be,” Sabrina said.
“This year I wanted to help my community, but it also helped me in my own mental recovery after the bushfires.”
Now, for the month of November, Sabrina is using her Facebook page to tell the stories of the unsung heroes of her community, the farm fire fighters, while at the same time raising funds to purchase much-needed supplies for at least 100 farm firefighting units. The Hospital Research Foundation is proud to be facilitating the fundraiser.
“A devastating summer saw our beautiful island burn for 45 days and our farm fire units battled the blazes to save as much as they could. Many of the people running these units lost everything,” Sabrina said.
“But they still soldiered on afterwards to help their neighbours and friends even when absolutely exhausted. These guys go out every year, multiple times, weeks on end, putting their own lives on hold and at risk during fire season.”
Sabrina’s aim was to raise $15,000 to buy protective clothing such as fire-resistant jackets, pants, leather gloves and goggles – but she’s already amassed more than $28,000!
“Farm fire units aren’t part of the Country Fire Service, so they equip themselves entirely which is a huge expense, especially after their losses from the bushfires,” Sabrina said.
“We’ve got a long road ahead and we need to be prepared and ready for this upcoming bushfire season with the best equipment possible. It will be lifesaving.”
You can donate to Sabrina’s fundraiser via this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/humansofkangarooisland
