Shoppers dig deep to help Kelly family

The Kelly’s have endured a terrible run of luck. Tracy Kelly, who works at Aldi, was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash, on November, along with her daughter Chloe. Both were airlifted to Sydney hospitals, Chloe in a critical condition.

Just weeks later disaster struck again, when four more members of the Oberon-based family were involved in a head-on collision while on their way to visit Chloe and Kelly in Liverpool and Westmead hospitals.

News of the second crash has shocked the local communities who are now rallying to help raise money to cover medical bills and associated costs.

Manager of Aldi Bathurst Astrid Duffy said, like the rest of the community, Aldi staff who have worked alongside Tracy for the past 18 months, were devastated by the news of the latest crash, and wanted to do what they could to help raise funds.

They organised a sausage sizzle, which was held on December 18, and also had donation tins at the supermarket.

Aldi supplied all the bread, meat and drinks for the fundraiser.

Ms Duffy said the community had been incredibly generous.

“It’s been awesome, by 11am the day of the sausage sizzle, we’d raised $600,” she said.

While the store was asking for gold coin donations, Ms Duffy said when shoppers heard the family’s plight they were, more often than not, putting a note in the collection tin.

Ms Duffy, who saw Tracy before Christmas, said she was in good spirits and was overwhelmed by the generosity that has been shown to her family.

Ms Duffy thanked the community, saying the support the family had received “had been awesome”.

Those still wanting to donate can do so online through the link http://www.gofundme.com/5nfd68#

Alternatively money can be donated at any National Australia Bank and donate to a fund set up by Russell and Kerryn King; the Kelly Family Fund BSB 082-771, Account 396220180.