The Roma community’s support for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) was celebrated earlier today with a trophy presentation in recognition of taking the top spot in the 2026 Woolworths in-store fundraiser for the fifth year in a row.
Across 262 stores spanning Queensland and Northern New South Wales, the Roma team led the way, raising just shy of $6,000 ($5,959 to be exact) over the month and a half long campaign.
It’s an initiative where locals are really helping locals. In 2025/26, the RFDS transported 444 patients from hospitals across the Maranoa Regional Council area, including 373 from Roma Hospital alone.
RFDS Board Member and Ambassador Hon Bruce Scott AM said the Roma team and the community behind them should be incredibly proud.
“Top fundraiser five years running says a lot about Roma. The weekly barbecues, $2 tokens and shopping round-ups, along with daily check-ins to keep everyone involved, show just how much this community cares about the Flying Doctor,” Mr Scott said.
“In a region like the Maranoa, people appreciate how vital the RFDS is for the community, and almost everyone has been touched by the service in some way, shape or form.”
“Where someone lives should not dictate the care they receive, and Roma is helping to ensure every Queenslander remains within reach of essential health services,” he said.
Mr Scott is today presenting the team with a trophy at Woolworths Roma, joined by RFDS pilot Matthew Joppich.
To thank them for their ongoing support, team members and their families were also invited to the RFDS Roma Base for a tour and morning tea ahead of the fundraiser (21 June) to see first-hand the impact of their annual efforts.
The partnership between Woolworths and the RFDS (Queensland Section) is now in its 11th year and has raised more than $3.6 million for frontline services across regional, rural and remote Queensland. This year the campaign raised a total of $150,941.
When this year’s campaign launched in July, Woolworths Community Partnership Manager Loretta Arrastia said the company was incredibly proud of its long-standing partnership with the RFDS.
“The generosity our customers show during this annual appeal is always inspiring,” Ms Arrastia said.
