Tamworth Public School’s fundraising efforts included a food drive and culminated on Friday with the whole school dancing for a gold-coin donation.

McDonald Bros Transport will bring the total to more than $2130, after seeing first-hand the dire straits some people are in on the land.

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Steve McDonald said the business had up to 15 trucks running hay to the area from down south as locals strive to keep their livestock alive.

“Just in the last month, hay has become drastically short in the south and also in the north, unfortunately,” he said.

“We’ve still got long way to go … we just like to try and help in those little ways.”

School P&C member Louise Ingall, who was behind the rain dance idea, said keeping stock fed and watered was “just getting more expensive every week, and the travel and transport costs they have to pay as well”.

“If it can help even a little bit for a few people, that would be fabulous.

“During classes on Friday, some of the kids wrote letters that will be going out with the non-perishables – the sentiment from the kids is amazing; how thoughtful they are.

“I hope that they make a farming family smile and know that they have the support of the wider community.”

P&C member Kate Arndell said the volunteers had been “absolutely overwhelmed” by the amount of food that was donated.

“It’s obviously pulling at the heartstrings of everyone in the community,” she said.

“With four of us working, it took over three hours to sort and pack all the food.

“Among the gold-coin donations, we received a couple of envelopes with $100 or $150 – anonymous donations, where people were not wanting to be thanked.”

Mrs Arndell, who is also the health district’s Rural Adversity Mental Health Program co-ordinator, said the money and items would be distributed through an as-yet-undetermined group. 

She hoped people would not be “too proud to accept that help”.

“People want to give it to someone that needs it,” she said.