A Sunshine Coast man who lost a cousin to the Victorian bushfires has launched a global mission to help the towns hardest hit by the disaster.

Gayne Emblin, the chief executive officer of Ritek Building Solutions at Cooroy, initiated Mates of Marysville, a charity which aims to provide practical and immediate assistance to the towns of Buxton, Marysville and Narbethong.

Mr Emblin, whose parents just escaped with their lives, wants the Coast to target specific communities with assistance which would be ongoing and develop into long-term relationships.

He said a lot of money was pouring in to the Red Cross and other organisations but the development of long-term relationships between Coast towns and devastated communities would help as well.

The economic development chair of the Noosa Biosphere sees real synergies between Marysville, a town founded on forestry, and Cooroy, where his business has employed 130 people since the closure of the timber mill and brickworks.

A former executive with British American Tobacco, Mr Emblin on Tuesday sent out 250 emails to contacts across the globe.

The email chain has already reached 40,000 people worldwide and responses have poured in from the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The immediate goal is to fund a catering van equipped with shade marquees and tables and chairs which would provide a gathering place for locals returning to the wasteland of their communities to start to assess the damage.

A Ritek semi-trailer will also be loaded with material to convert the Marysville Golf Club clubhouse into a police station, bar and shop to provide basic infrastructure.

The first fairway will become a park for vans and demountables needed by construction workers and those returning to rebuild their homes.

Mr Emblin’s mother is president of the local Lions Club and his father is captain of the golf club.

A 12-year-old boy who won the right to play with Mr Emblin’s father in the Saturday competition died with his mother and sister in the blaze.

Mr Emblin, who has already chipped in $6000 set aside to fund his 50th birthday, said he would provide the materials and construct a memorial centre where communities could place memorabilia collected from the ruins.

“The mourning won’t even start until the dead are buried and people can return to what’s left of their homes and get in touch with the past,’’ he said.

“Then they will need to rebuild a total community. We need to make sure that when they are through their grief they will have something to go on with.’’

Donations can be made through the Bendigo Community Bank of Cooroy or visit http://www.matesofmarysville.com.au for further information and updates

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/feb/12/long-term-support-bushfire-victims/