Gulargambone’s Multi Purpose Health Service (MPS) is clearly highly valued around the district with the local Bowling Club packed to the rafters with supporters of all ages on Saturday night 6 April.

Things didn’t go exactly according to plan at the end of the night’s trivia fundraiser.  

The final raffle was drawn from hundreds of tickets in front of a crowd up to 150 people for the top prize of half a steer in meat.

When event MC John Alchin read the ticket, the winner turned out to be from the butchery sponsoring the prize - Gilgandra’s Johnson's Gourmet Butchery. 

Thinking on his feet, John called owner Michael Johnson and asked what he wanted to do.

“You just won the half a beast at the trivia night. What do you want to do?” John told Michael over the phone.

“Roll it again, take it?”

John then put Michael on speaker and pressed the phone up to the microphone. 

Team ‘Big Paddock’ putting their heads together for trivia. 

 “Draw it again,” Michael said to cheers from the crowd. 

The re-draw win went to Gilgandra local Eileeyo Louie, who will fill her freezer with the prize. 

The re-draw decision wasn’t the only surprise that night, which raised over $5000 for Gulargambone Multi Purpose Health Service.

The hospital’s Nurse Manager, Belinda Alchin, said that was “three times more” than she was expecting.

Cody Searle (left) and Gular local James Spora. James won a $25 Baker’s Delight voucher in the raffle.

“We’re trying to get new furniture for the residents’ lounge, appropriate furniture for them, and new curtains,” Belinda said. 

“I didn’t think so many people would turn up. It was amazing.”

Throughout the night, 15 teams of eight wrangled their brains over eight rounds involving music, science, geography and Australian roads. 

They faced questions from the name of Coonamble’s main street (it starts with a C) to whether people get shorter or taller in space, with some cheeky teasing from John.

“If I offend anybody, the carpark’s out there,” John joked.