{"id":24017,"date":"2019-08-29T05:56:20","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T19:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/?p=24017"},"modified":"2019-08-28T16:29:34","modified_gmt":"2019-08-28T06:29:34","slug":"beat-n-the-blues-raised-the-roof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/news\/beat-n-the-blues-raised-the-roof\/","title":{"rendered":"Beat \u2018N\u2019 The Blues raised the roof"},"content":{"rendered":"

WINTER weather didn\u2019t dampen spirits when nearly two hundred people got together to beat the blues and raises funds for Ballarat and District Suicide Prevention Network.<\/p>\n

A night of dinner, music, dancing, auctioning and heaps of fun, all in the name of a good cause, was held at the Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club on Saturday.<\/p>\n

This is the fourth year the Network has run this major fundraiser event said Des Hudson, Chair of Ballarat and District Suicide Prevention Network.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst we understand the overall theme can be a bit gloomy, tonight is about having fun and supporting the Network,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe money will be used to deliver our action plan of underwriting educating and training delivered by Lifeline Ballarat to a minimum of 100 people per year across the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Auctioneer Matt Stevens\u2019 panache kept the bidding moving with 15 major auction prizes and 27 silent auction items going under the hammer.<\/p>\n

Lindy Packer, Secretary of Ballarat and District Suicide Prevention Network, said the local business community had generously backed the event donating a vast array of items for the live and the silent auctions.<\/p>\n

Businesswoman Renay Dwyer said Ms Packer works tirelessly organising the annual event.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a business owner I want to do my part so I always attend, it is important to spread the word about the Networks\u2019 training program,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Anabelle Smith, an Olympic Diver and Lifeline Community Custodian shared her personal experiences as an elite athlete, understanding how mental health could impact on her sport and on her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even bat an eyelid when I feel like I\u2019m struggling now, because I know that there\u2019s help for me, there\u2019s help for everyone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wadawurrung woman, Bonnie Chew and her husband Andy said they came to the event because they had been touched personally by someone taking their own life.<\/p>\n

Ms Chew runs a cultural consulting business which offers a mental health first aid program to help educate the community about the importance of mental health and removing the stigma around seeking assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was pleased to be asked to conduct the Welcome to Country here tonight as the Network does great work and is an important organisation to support,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Fat And The Heads kept the patrons grooving on the dance floor, rocking out hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s well into the night.<\/p>\n