Backyard blitzed in show of spirit

Andrew Mathieson
Community spirit has rallied to a struggling man’s life – and his neglected backyard.
The tears ran down the face of Corio man Robert McDonald as he recounted the goodwill following his life-threatening battle with kidney failure.
He had feared he wouldn’t reach his half century until a kidney replacement three years ago.
However, ongoing ill-health stopped him maintaining his beloved backyard since the operation.
But friends, family, well-wishers and Geelong businesses donated labour, materials and equipment to renovate Mr McDonald’s backyard for his 50th birthday this month.
“I walk out the back and I’m still in shock,” an emotional Mr McDonald said.
“Every time I walk out I look at it and say ‘This isn’t my backyard’.
“It’s been neglected since I got sick in ’97. Now to look at it, well, it brings me to tears.”
Twenty locals spent three days on the backyard blitz.
Close mates Arthur Koole and Ty Pearson led the project, giving Mr McDonald half an hour’s notice to leave home for a room at Geelong’s Sheraton hotel while work was underway.
Mr Koole marvelled at how everyone pulled together for the project.
“I couldn’t believe how a community like Geelong got behind a cause like this without asking – it was just very comforting,” he said.
“We had people say we’d never do it because it was too much work but then they’d ask to have a go and we pulled it off.
“To see the tears in Robert’s eyes later that night was fantastic.”