$12,000 - that's Hughes-mungous!

A HELICOPTER was the mode of transport for comedian Dave Hughes when he made a guest appearance at Warrnambool's bushfire appeal benefit concert.The former Warrnambool man, known for his television appearances on Rove and Before the Game, entertained the crowd gathered at Lake Pertobe for the one-off fund-raiser."I got a call during the week to be a part of it and because it was in Warrnambool it made sense to come down,'' Hughes said."There's not many times you get to fly in a helicopter down to Warrnambool and land right on Lake Pertobe.''The comedian was one of several artists donating their time to be part of the event which included rock band he Androids, the Sky Rock Kats and the Louise Clancy band.The Androids bassist Sam Grayson said he didn't have to think twice about being involved in the fund-raiser.``It's a great honour to be a part of the bushfire appeal people want to help out in some way and days like this go towards generating the cash for those who need it,'' he said.Concert organiser Larry Lawson said more than $12,000 had been raised for the appeal as of last night.``We raised more than a couple of thousand out of our major auction and people donating through the day kept the dollars rolling in,'' he said.Warrnambool City Council events and promotions manager Brooke Wilson said the generosity of individuals, organisations and businesses had been overwhelming.``So many people have donated already but they continue to give,'' Ms Wilson said. ``Businesses around town have also dug deep with all the sound equipment, travel and organisational costs donated, as well as the profits from the food stalls.''