Young local legend raises over $250,000
By Charlie Delandelles
21-year-old Sam Hughes, known by many as ‘The Travelling Jackaroo’, is returning home to Maleny after raising over $250k for charity over the last 3 and a half years. Sam has been travelling around Australia in his trusty bright orange 1957 Chamberlain 9G Tractor, Slim, with his rescue dog, Bista, to raise money and awareness for rural mental health.
On June 22, Sam proudly announced he has raised over a quarter of a million dollars for the Royal Flying Doctors Service, Dolly’s Dream and Drought Angels.
“Massive thanks to everyone who’s made a donation over the past three and a half years,” Sam said.
“$250,000 was an amount that, when I first started, I would never have believed would be possible, but here we are.”
In 2023, Sam was recognised for his champion efforts, becoming one of four state finalists for Young Australian of the Year.
Overall, Sam has driven 25,000km and counting, amassed 250k followers on Facebook from his initial (and modest) 17k, and become an inspiring Australian icon. While Sam’s 3.5 year fundraising journey is coming to an end, he has no plans to end his charity work.
“Soon I’ll be starting to build my next big project which is going to be a mobile museum that’s going to incorporate a lot of bush history,” he said.
“The museum will also continue my fundraising ambitions … as well as continuing to raise awareness for mental health and suicide in the bush.”
Enjoy the rest of your trip, Jackaroo! To learn more about the local superstar, visit his Facebook page ‘The Travelling Jackaroo’ or https://www.facebook.com/thetravellingjackaroo/
