Gympie Music Muster's 37-year history has fundraising at its very heart

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The Gympie Music Muster is in its 37th year, and thousands of volunteers have since raised millions of dollars for charity.

This is not just any festival — this is the festival that gives.

In the hills of the Amamoor State Forest the basslines can be heard echoing through the thousands of campsites.

Thousands of people make their way through the gates and make a beeline to the hill in front of the main stage.

Slung over their shoulders are collapsible chairs, with one person in the group carrying a tarpaulin.

The tarp will mark their spot on the hill for the day, so as things start to heat up in the natural auditorium they know they always have their spot.

This is just one of the small traditions of the four-day festival, which began with the Webb Brothers throwing a party on their Thornside property in 1982.

Another tradition is supporting charity, with the original muster raising $12,000 and establishing a generous trend.

"Over the last 37 years we've raised something like $15 million for charities and for community groups," said muster organiser Lori Hoffman.

"That kind of injection of cash back into the community is really the foundation on which we're built."

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is this year's charity partner of the muster, with money raised going to extending support services.

"We support a number of services through our prostate cancer specialist nurses. We have 47 around the country right now and we're aiming to get over 100," said Peter Duffy, Queensland president of PCFA.

"Unfortunately, one in five Australian men will get prostate cancer, there are 20,000 new cases every year."

Ms Hoffman said the decision to partner with the prostate cancer charity was an easy one.

"We're obviously a rural community, and the issues that touch rural communities are pretty consistent," she said.

"These are our communities and our men, and we want to make sure they're getting that message. They need to take care of themselves and take care of their health."

Largest fundraiser of the year

A 1,700-strong army of sporting club, school and service organisation volunteers help transform the forest into a busting tent city.

The clubs all have their own role — whether it is making sure the bins get emptied or keeping music fans fed with chicken and gravy rolls.

Pam Tindall is busy peeling bananas at the Golden City Soccer Club stand, organising 27 volunteers in shifts to keep things running.

"We're selling beautiful hot potatoes and golden pancakes. Grilled bananas go on the pancakes, strawberries, anything you like!" she said.

"We love it, we've got a great spot. We can see the main stage, listen to the music. When there is nothing on the stage we can listen to the blues bar at the back."

Their stand is a permanent building, with the soccer club first occupying the space in 1994.

For these clubs, schools and organisations, this event is their biggest fundraiser of the year.

"It helps us buy all the equipment and the shirts that the players need, and if any boys or girls go to state or overseas we help them financially with the cost," Ms Tindall said.

"I've been coming since 1992 and I'm in awe every season to see how it all sets up from nothing."

Festival organiser Lori Hoffman said about 17,000 volunteer hours go into the event as it takes a town to make a muster.

"Without that support and without those people pitching in and being part of this event we wouldn't be able to do what we do," she said.

"It really is truly a grass-roots community event that is built by the community for the community.

"It gives back to the community, and you don't see a lot of events like that any more. We think that's pretty special."

Topics: country, music, arts-and-entertainment, rural-youth, human-interest, people, charities-and-community-organisations, community-and-society, gympie-4570, bundaberg-4670, qld, brisbane-4000, australia