Great support: Senior Constable Brad Davies, Sergeant Kylie Pettit and Sergeant Allanah Anson hand over the $765 they raised for the SARAH Group to Judy and Peter Frazer of Springwood.
Generous donation: Mr Gedes of Hurleys Meats in Springwood donated 100 sausages for the police fund-raiser. He is pictured here being thanked by Sergeant Kylie Pettit.
Blue Mountains police officers have banded together to raise funds for road safety and support the family of Sarah Frazer.
Local policewomen recently got together to raise funds for the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group following Sarah’s tragic death on the Hume Highway in February.
The girls in blue baked some delicious treats and “made the men buy their goods” at several morning teas. They also held two sausage sizzles at Blue Mountains Local Area Command training days with 100 snags generously donated by Mr Gedes of Hurleys Meats in Springwood.
An Easter egg raffle and a “girl’s night in” at one of the officer’s homes was also held, with a grand total of $765 raised to help the SARAH Group fund its ongoing fight for road safety across the state.
“After reading [the story] in the Blue Mountains Gazette (“A person can’t die because their car overheats”, 14.3.12), the women of the command decided they would organise some events to be able to make a small donation towards the Frazers’ campaign,” Sergeant Allanah Anson said.
“The group of women, both non-sworn and sworn officers, felt strongly about supporting this cause for a number of reasons.
“Firstly most of us are mothers but also being in the police we are constantly involved at the crisis point of people’s circumstances.
“This was just an opportunity to give something back that not only helps the Frazer family pursue lobbying for SARAH but it is also a road safety campaign directed at users and emergency workers that transcends politics.”
Sergeant Kylie Pettit said it was hoped other groups would follow the police lead.
“We managed to raise $765 from these simple activities and we were hoping that by getting some publicity from this that other workplace or social groups in the Blue Mountains or beyond would follow suit,” she said.
The proceeds were presented to Sarah’s parents, Judy and Peter, on April 24, with an overwhelmed Peter thanking the police for their generosity.
The NSW Police Association has also endorsed the SARAH campaign and is encouraging members to sign the group’s road safety petition.
The petition has attracted more than 17,000 signatures since beginning last month and will be presented to State Parliament on May 15.
Blue Mountains Mayor Daniel Myles also moved a mayoral minute at the April 23 council meeting, expressing Blue Mountains City Council’s full support for the SARAH Group’s aims.
It also expressed the council’s appreciation to Sarah’s family and the family of tow truck driver Geoff Clark, who died alongside Sarah, in their push for greater road safety and extended its best wishes for their future endeavours.