The invite is also extended to all the police, SES, Powercor and service people that helped and guided everyone through what was a difficult and stressful time.
Cobram Rotary Club will help with the catering. All lunch and drinks will be free for all volunteers, and available at a small cost for the appreciative community.
Cobram local Ian Fox is organising the community lunch and said it was a chance for people to thank the service members in person.
“I think the general public need to be able to go and give everyone a cuddle and say thank you very much for what you did,” he said.
Mr Fox said $3700 was raised for the community lunch between himself and three other locals.
He said that once people heard what he was doing they were eager to help, and any money leftover would go towards people affected by the fires.
“We just want to show some appreciation for the people that helped save the district,” he said.
Mr Fox was out in the paddock with his cattle when the fire started and said he immediately saw fire trucks taking off.
“I've got 200 cattle on our little farm here and I didn't know whether I was going to lose the house or the farm.”
Mr Fox said he and other community members banded together to help neighbours put out spot fires across the road.
“All the posts were on fire and we just had utes and trailers or tractors with little water barrels on the back,” he said.
“I just went around and put all the fence posts and trees out.”
Mr Fox said that the community lunch was also for people who had lost everything in the fires.
“We've got to try and guide them now through a couple of dark places and get them as much community help as we can,” he said.
The lunch will be held at the Katamatite community sports pavilion on Sunday, February 1 at 11am.
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