LOVE and generosity were in the air yesterday as thousands of people gathered in Garema Place for a bushfire relief fund-raising concert.
Firefighters just back from Victoria told a hushed crowd of the devastation they had witnessed. Coins clinked into plastic buckets. The mood lifted as Latin-American and local bands took to the stage and children to the dance floor.
The Canberra Cares Concert was a collaboration between the National Multicultural Festival and ABC local radio, and was broadcast live.
Some performers were already scheduled to play on the main stage as part of the festival's Carnival in the City, but others were asked to participate or volunteered their talent at a few days' notice.
Festival producer Kabu Okai-Davies said the response was ''unbelievable''.
''The evidence of community spirit has been expressed,'' he said. ''People have come from around the whole of Canberra to support the Victorian bushfire victims and show their sympathy.''
ABC radio presenter Ross Solly praised the organisers for their ability to pull together the concert at short notice. ''It's a great reflection of the Canberra music community,'' he said.
Staff and musicians volunteered their labour and members of the ABC Community Choir collected more than $10,000 in donations from the crowd.
Solly said the Victorian fires were a reminder of Canberra's own experience in 2003.
''I think it makes Canberrans a lot more generous because they know what's in store now for these people who have to rebuild their lives,'' he said.
A volunteer collector from the ABC Community Choir, Joan O'Callaghan, said many donations came from people who had already given money earlier in the week.
''I was expecting coins we're getting $20 notes.''
Multicultural Affairs Minister John Hargreaves said the turn-out showed anyone who was in doubt that Canberra did indeed have a soul.
''We had our own pain in 2003. Right now we're sharing the pain of the people of Victoria for just a little while. I say to the people of Victoria: our prayers are with you, our hearts are with you, and after today our money will be with you as well.''
Former marathon runner Robert de Castella spoke of losing his home in 2003. ''Your life is thrown into turmoil,'' he said.
''They now have to make sure they look after themselves, get enough rest and good food.''
Rus Locke, of Holbrook, NSW, also knows first-hand what fire can do. Three years ago the 75-year-old lost hundreds of sheep and cattle to a bushfire.
''We really felt for everyone down there. It's such a shocking thing to happen,'' she said.
''The help they're getting will really hearten them.''
Ninety volunteer firefighters from Canberra travelled to Victoria last week to assist with the recovery.
David Reno, of the Molonglo volunteer rural fire brigade, was one of them.
''It was very daunting heading down because we weren't sure what we'd walk into,'' he said.
''Once we arrived there, we went straight to the fire ground. The devastation we saw around us was horrible. The town we went into, Beechworth, was deserted.''
He said the response from Canberra was fantastic.
''Every little bit you can give is worth it there are a lot of devastated people down there.''
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