Trucks from all over the eastern states of the country lined the streets of Ardlethan on Australia Day, with the convoy of 26 semi-trailers and b-doubles all carrying the same cargo - hay.
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All of the 18-wheelers and their drivers, travelling from as far as Tasmania, South Australia, NSW and Queensland, joined forces for the Need for Feed Australia Day hay run.
The convoy started at the organisations depot near Cobram, with an overnight stop at Ardlethan on January 26, to then continue onto the north of the state at Bellata, south of Narrabri, where the trucks will then split up off to their different destinations.
In total, the convoy assisted 36 properties that have been affected by fire, flood or drought, throughout northern NSW and southern Queensland.
Hay allocations were based off the number of stock on the property, while the producers also received a household hamper and a bag of dog food.
Need for Feed chairman, Graham Cockerell, Beaconsfield, Vic, said the charity, which is a project of Lions Club Australia, started at the end of 2006 when the first destination was Gippsland after fires and drought.
"We do one about every six to eight weeks and all drivers are volunteers," Mr Cockerell said.
"All hay has been donated or purchased out of donations, with two road trains from South Australia joining us later on.
"So we're still doing some people from the Tenterfield fires and Ashford fires.
"Places like Deepwater, Bolivia and then into Queensland, places like Dalveen, near Stanthorpe, to Texas.
"Some of the stops are pockets in between that have been hit very hard and haven't been lucky enough to get one of those big downpours - there are patches still dry."
Mr Cockerell said the registered charity has received a lot of support from the Australian public, along with the fuel for the trip being covered by the NSW Government.
The community of Ardlethan stepped in and supported the cause with the show society and management committee hosting the drivers for the evening while also running raffles with the proceeds going towards the generous event.
Ardlethan Show Society president Marcia Ryan said the community raised $2500 for the cause, with supplies for the evening meal being donated to the show committee.
"Honestly the drivers were a great bunch of people," Mrs Ryan said.
"I was gobsmacked, I could not get over how generous and kind they are.
One of the driving factors of the community wanting to host the drivers was not only to support the generous act, but also in memory of fellow member of the Ardlethan community, Ken Horan, who died late last year but was active in the Need for Feed movement.
Mr Horan's wife, Sue Horan, said she had initially joined the Yanco Lions Club with her first husband Buster Ryan, who died in 2020, and decided to be part of the group after seeing how much happiness it brought to him - helping people through the Need to Feed hay runs.
"When Ken and I became a couple, he would come along and help out, whether it was just catering or come along to a meeting and he really got to know my Lions Club members and also wanted to join the Lions Club, which he then went on to be president of," Mrs Horan said.
"Ken did three hay runs with Need for Feed, one to Cunnamulla in Queensland and then two to Forbes."
Mrs Horan said Mr Horan's involvement with the hay runs stemmed before the two were together, with Mr Horan donating a load of hay for the drought-affected farmers, while also providing his truck for a friend to deliver hay to different regions.
Although Mr Horan died before this trek north took place, one of the loads of hay being taken to the drought and fire affected areas was donated by Mr Horan.
"The farmers have told us, it's so much about the hay and hampers that come on the back of the truck, but they said the real thing is knowing that people care and are thinking of them," Mrs Horan said.
