Country Music Heavyweights Back Epic Raffle For Bushfire-Affected Community

After a fast-moving grass fire tore through Carranballac Recreation Reserve, the country music community has stepped up in a major way - and now a star-studded raffle is helping rebuild what was lost.

Countrytown Awards

On 9 January 2026, a fast moving grass fire tore through 20,000 hectares of land, completely destroying the Carranballac Recreation Reserve - the beating heart of a small but fiercely proud rural community.

For generations, the reserve has been more than just turf and tin sheds. It’s where kids learned to bowl their first over with the Carranballac Cricket Club, where the Carranballac Progress Society met, and where iconic local events like the Eel Skinners & Duck Pluckers BNS Ball and HarvFest Ball brought the town together. Clubrooms, equipment, memorabilia and decades of memories were wiped out in a matter of hours.

Now, the community is rebuilding - and they’re not doing it alone.

A major fundraiser raffle has launched thanks to The Dusty Boots Podcast, with the country music scene turning out in force. Artists, promoters, media and fans have all donated prizes to help raise vital funds for the reserve’s rebuild.

Liam Williamson, one of the organisers, said the outpouring of support has been nothing short of emotional. “It’s been incredible to see how many people want to help when given the chance,” he said. “This raffle isn’t about spotlight or promotion, it’s about turning goodwill into real, practical support for bushfire affected areas."

Ticket sales for the raffle close at 8:30pm on 10 March 2026, with every entry purchase going directly towards the effort to bring the reserve back stronger for future generations.

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For a community built on volunteer spirit and local pride, this is about more than replacing buildings, it’s about restoring a meeting place, a memory-maker and a cornerstone of country life.

PRIZES

1st Prize - Valued at $3,500

Fender Standard Telecaster signed by Aussie Country Artists: The Wolfe Brothers, Troy Cassar-Daley, Lee Kernaghan, Max Jackson, Andrew Swift, Wade Forster, Lane Pittman, Jarrad Wrigley and Wet Whistles