Generous Canberra steps up to help those affected by bushfires - and our hero firefighters

From that little stall to musos gigging by the Queanbeyan River for a fundraiser to local parents putting together back-to-school supplies for South Coast children, Canberrans are responding with heart to the bushfire crisis.

Nearly 17 years after Canberrans were the recipients of untold generosity from across the nation in the wake of the 2003 bushfires, the city's residents are, bit by bit, trying to grapple with the enormity of the current disaster and offer their own salve, no matter how small.

Canberra mums Emma Bickley and Kate Cox helped to wrangle their kids, all students at St Michael's Primary in Kaleen, to stage the lemonade stand at Ziggy's Fresh in Belconnen on Wednesday.

Passers-by soon responded in spades, with $500 raised in just over an hour for the NSW Rural Fire Service. (Another $530 had been raised online.) By the end of the day, $1500 had been raised.

"People love it," Emma said. "They don't even want to take the lemonade, they just want to give us money."

Ziggy's donated the lemons and limes for the lemonade, which was made by the kids "with an old-fashioned '80s juicer".

The children, even so young, understand the fires have upset lives. Adeline and Mallory's grandparents Buba and Dida (Tony and Ana Plascak) live in Batemans Bay.

"The house got sort of bushfire around it," Mallory, 7, said. Emma said her parents' house had been saved but they were still without power.

Kate said her family had Christmas in the Hunter Valley where they did a lemonade-making course. Travelling back home through the smoke, the children wanted to hold the lemonade stand to help support the firies.

"It's been wonderful to see how generous Canberrans have been," Emma said.

Events and fundraisers are being staged all over Canberra - and in Queanbeyan on Thursday night.

Some of the region's finest musicians and poets have banded together with The Queanbeyan Hive to present "Riverside Rhythms!", a night of music and poetry to raise funds for WIRES (Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation), to help the animals affected by the fires.

Hosted by Omar Musa, the show will feature performers including Endrey, Lucy Sugerman, Cathy Diver, CJ Bowerbird and Eden Plenty. There will also be an exhibition of Omar's woodcut prints with all sales going to WIRES. It's on from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday at the Queanbeyan Hive, 274 Crawford Street.

Tickets are $10 at the door or free for under 12s. More details here.

And to further support families displaced by the bushfires, Power Kart Raceway in Griffith and Canmum.com are organising a Family Fun Day this Sunday from 3pm to 8pm where a portion of every ticket sold will be donated directly to the Red Cross Australia Bushfire Appeal. More details here.

There will be go karting, ice skating and indoor golf on the day. Power Kart Raceway, at 125 Canberra Avenue, Griffith, has been offering free activities for South Coast families who had to flee the fires.

Canmum is Liz Pickworth who wants to give back after her own family was helped when she was diagnosed with heart and lung cancer.

"You just have to do whatever you can to help people," Liz said.