Dungog Pizza Shop was transformed into a ribs and wings bonanza over the weekend, all in the name of raising money for the Cancer Council.
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The kitchen was taken over by two mates from Paterson, Jamie Allen and Adam Kraski who cooked for the evening to raise money for their upcoming Mystery Box Rally charity drive.
This is a five day rally with the duo only knowing the start point and that the route is a loop but all other details of the trip are a mystery, all in the name of raising money for cancer research.
"It was a great success, I think everyone that came left good reviews of the food - not a bad word said," Mr Allen said.
"Cooking at Dungog Pizza kitchen was an experience. It was certainly a lot of work. We started cooking at about 8.30am and didn't have a break until about 9.30pm so it was a fairly long day.
"We fed about 120 people. We had about 100 booked for dinner and we did about 20 takeaways throughout the night."
The duo managed to raise over $3500 in donations throughout the evening.
Owners of Dungog Pizza, Duncan and Natalie Spedding said that they were overwhelmed by the generous donations made by the community.
"It was amazing the amount of people that turned up. It was a big night," Mrs Spedding said.
"The comments were all 'thanks for such a great night', a lot of people there had just recently lost loved ones and all that stuff so it meant a lot to them."
With the Mystery Box Rally set to start at Airlie Beach, Queensland on August 21, Mr Allen and Mr Kraski are getting ready to make the journey.
"We're just looking forward to it.
"The car's just about ready, we've got a few bits and pieces to finish off and then we're just looking forward to getting on the road and having a little bit of fun," Mr Allen said.
"It's been a long time fundraising, we've been fundraising since January so we've been going hard at it for six months. We've raised over 12 grand now, probably closer to 13."
Raising money for Cancer Council has become a personal journey for Mr Allen with both his father-in-law and wife both being diagnosed with cancer.
To raise money for a charity that tries to find a cure for the disease that has affected so many people in his life is a unique feeling for him.
"It's a good feeling. It's a bit surreal actually. For a small community like Dungog we raised over $3 grand," Mr Allen said.
"Even in Paterson, it's really only been friends and family and the small community. For everyone to get behind us, it's pretty cool."
Angus Michie
Angus Michie is a reporter with the Dungog Chronicle. He has an interest in community and council reporting.
Angus Michie is a reporter with the Dungog Chronicle. He has an interest in community and council reporting.
