Ray Moore, left, and Ian Castles, right, are staging a concert this month to raise money for Dulcie and Simone Rushton. 35384 Picture: Luke Plummer
By Jade Lawton
A DEDICATED group of musicians will stage a concert in memory of Beaconsfield icon Tony Rushton this month, with all proceeds to go towards a new wheelchair for his disabled daughter, Simone.
Mr Rushton and wife Dulcie moved to Beaconsfield in 1966, and Mr Rushton was vice-president of the town’s progress association before he was killed in a two-car smash near Swan Hill in 2007.
The Rushtons had been attending Cranbourne’s monthly acoustic concert ‘fathers in the chapel’ for about 10 years before the collision, and the musicians are now banding together in memory of their friend.
“We wanted to do a concert for Simone’s dad some years ago but the timing was not right because of the court case. Things are finalised and now is the right time,” Mr Castles said.
The family was travelling to Swan Hill for the Easter Holidays when a Corowa woman, driving on the wrong side of the road, came around a bend on the Murray Highway and hit the family’s sedan head-on.
Mr Rushton, 63, was killed instantly. It was Good Friday 2007, Simone’s 33rd birthday.
Simone’s wheelchair was irreparably damaged in the smash, and both Simone and Dulcie were treated for cuts at the Swan Hill hospital.
“Simone had to be spoon fed for a week because of damage to her hands,” Dulcie said.
The other driver was later charged with culpable driving and driving causing death.
Radio personality Neil Mitchell, through 3AW, donated a light construction wheelchair but this now needs to be replaced with a heavy-duty one.
The group hopes to raise $5000 to purchase a new wheelchair, but any money raised will go to the family.
“It would be nice if we could do more but we will be grateful for whatever we can raise,” Mr Castles said.
Acts will include Ian Castles on guitar, poet Ed Walker, country musician Ray Moore, Neil Diamond sound-a-like Chris Newman and Dorothy Baker, who had regular appearance’s on Graham Kennedy’s IMT show and is known as Australia’s ‘Vera Lynn.’
The Tony Rushton Memorial Benefit Variety Concert will be held at the new function room in Akoonah Park, Berwick, on Saturday 12 September from 7.30pm.
Tickets are $10 per person or $25 per family, with all proceeds to assist Dulcie and Simone.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or contact Ian on 5996 5390 or 0407 351 527 or Michael on 5971 4331 or 0419 562 992.
