Australia's "Biggest Morning Tea"

is an annual event intended to raise money for cancer research. The idea is that individuals and groups host a morning tea and people pay something to participate.
My father and I were both invited to events yesterday. He went in one direction and I went in another.
I had to go to the bank first. It is quite a distance away and takes about thirty minutes of pedalling time. If I am lucky I time it just as the bank opens. Yesterday I was a couple of minutes early and there were two men waiting ahead of me. By the time the bank opened another five people had arrived. They all belong to the same ethnic group. They all know one another and they all talk among themselves in their mother tongue. I only know enough of the language to be able to say a polite greeting, please and thankyou. I am therefore, understandably, ignored.
As the bank doors opened however the official unlocking them made an announcement about "morning tea". They all surged ahead of me. Their eyes were on the table attractively laid out with cakes, biscuits, tea and coffee. They grabbed their tickets to be served and headed over to the table. Then, they had to pay? They stepped back. Heads were shaken.
I took a ticket after them and watched quietly. Not one of them was prepared to pay as much as a dollar to participate in the attractive display. They had missed their numbers being called to be served and began arguing about that as well.
My turn came. I know the girl who served me quite well. I was going to morning tea at a library when I left the bank. We chatted about this as she dealt with what I needed. As I was about to leave she said,
"Can you wait a moment?"
She went and spoke to the floor manager for the morning. He nodded. An entire Swiss Roll was wrapped and handed to me. I put it gently into my bag and took it off to the morning tea at the library where it helped to raise a good sum. Just before I wrote this I wrote a note for the bank staff. I want them to know their donation was appreciated.