29/05/2022
Important message from Scott Harding, Event Director and Visionary of the Gundaroo Music Festival.
It is with equal amounts of immense pride and genuine sadness that today we announce the conclusion of the Gundaroo Music Festival.
The Gundaroo Music Festival came about because our dear friend Scott Windsor and I sat down one night after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
His friends wanted to do something to help. But he wouldn’t accept anything. He was a proud and passionate man. But he was also a talented musician. He had always had a dream of a music festival being held in the heart of our community. Helping young and up and coming musicians get a chance to perform.
So, we compromised. It was agreed that together, his mates would help him stage the first ever Gundaroo Music Festival. And we would use it to raise much needed funds for all people living with Motor Neurone Disease through MND NSW – who support those living with this insidious disease – and give them the ability to buy the things they need to live with it.
And that’s exactly what we have been doing right here since 2013. Sadly, our mate lost his battle with MND, leaving behind a beautiful wife and two daughters. But we had made a deal with Scott. And so we, his mates – with the help of our whole community – hundreds of volunteers over the years, and a dedicated GMF Organising Committee have staged the event ever since until of course a global pandemic set us all back.
Since 2013 - with your support and that of so many generous sponsors over the years, we have been able to keep the dream of our dear friend Scott Windsor alive and give our musicians a stage to play with the best in the business and most importantly create an amazing music event for our community.
In recent years, we went on to create the Gundaroo Emerging Muso (GEM) battle. Again, another idea dreamt up at the Harding family kitchen table by good mates, that was focused on giving young people and newly formed artists their first every chance at performing live in front of a crowd. We can’t tell you how proud we were to give our local talent that chance – and wow, they blew us away every single night.
Most importantly, I want you to know. That with the support of you our most passionate supporters and our GMF family – we have donated over the years $141,000 to MND NSW.
And our final act – will be to donate the remaining funds in our trust account – the funds that have been bolstered by so many sponsors this year saying – even though there will be no GMF – that their entire sponsorship should be donated back to help those living with MND.
We are so humbled that in coming days we will be able to give to those living with MND a further $87,000.
We could not be prouder. We could not have done it without you. And the memory of Scott and the Gundaroo Music Festival, will forever live on in our hearts.
Once again - our heartfelt thanks for all you have done.
Scott Harding
P.S I want to give a special thanks and shout out to my wife Sally Harding. Without her holding me up year after year, and giving up so much of our life to make this happen every year, the GMF simply would not have been. Love you S.
