By Afraa Kori
Vietnam Veterans And Veterans MC Gippsland Chapter held its annual Show and Shine on February 8, raising nearly $5,000 to support veterans and their families.
The annual bike and tattoo show was run under the leadership of Russell (T Rat), the president of the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Motorcycle Club, Gippsland Chapter.
The Annual Show and Shine is their biggest fundraising event of the year, where they rely on donations from the community and other clubs.
This enables them to not only support Veterans and their families but also give back to local and regional communities.
Funds raised at the show are used to support events like ANZAC Day and Vietnam Veterans Day, along with other initiatives. They also donate to charities that align with their values and goals for Veterans and their families, benefiting the community.
The show connects families, children, local groups and like minded individuals that like bikes, live music and a lot of fun.
The event was a great success, with many attendees taking home fantastic prizes, trophies, and awards from the bike and tattoo competition. This year, local tattoo shops went head-to-head to determine who had the best tattoo.
The entertainers, Kathy Rust and the Blue Dog Cruiser Band, and Johnny “Cruze” put on some good entertainment throughout the day and into the evening.
Secretary Sean Robinson described it as one of the “best turnouts” they’ve had in a long time.
“The crowd was just fantastic, and it was just a constant flow of people. They were quite pleasant, and they seemed to enjoy themselves so it made it well worthwhile.”
Gippsland Chapter appreciates everyone’s support in making a difference through the Show and Shine.
“We would really like to thank our many sponsors for donating prizes and vouchers towards the day to assist us in raising money to go towards us.”
“On that note, we would especially like to thank our many sponsors who donated vouchers and merchandise for our raffles and prizes. Without your contributions, the day would not have been as exciting for our members and guests.”
“You will also be blown away by our clubhouse grounds. The members have done a lot of work with the help of donations from our community to help us help Veterans and their families.”
