Team Jack teams up with Hawks to help fundraising soar

DRYSDALE’S Copperwaite family is expanding their fundraising efforts to support two important aspects of their lives.

Team Jack – which comprises Donna, Blair, Paris, Maddie and Jack Copperwaite – is collaborating with Drysdale Football Club to help raise money through its canteen for the Ronald McDonald House in Melbourne.

Donna’s son Jack has a rare craniofacial syndrome and needs ongoing medical treatments at the Royal Children’s Hospital, so the house has become an important place for her family to stay.

Team Jack sponsors a room at Ronald McDonald House for $5,000 a year, but Donna said she wanted to increase their fundraising efforts so they could sponsor more.

The Copperwaite family is a valued and active member of the club with Paris and Maddie both playing football. The family hopes that by managing the canteen for the remainder of the season they can support the house, Royal Children’s Hospital and the club all at once.

“We wanted to do our bit for the club as well as raise funds for our ‘adopt a room’ project at Ronald McDonald House,” Donna said.

“We have had to stay there a number of times and we realise the importance of the house for families of kids receiving medical treatment at RCH.”

Donna said Team Jack originally started with her family of five, but had since grown to about 50 to 100 members – with today’s volunteers an excellent support.

“We’ve been doing food runs up to the Ronald McDonald House for four years and in that time we’ve gained a lot of interest from people who want to help,” she said.

“We had so much support with the food drive we delivered about $7,000 worth in September and that was all collected in under a month.”

Donna said Team Jack was also organising a Trivia Night for July and Shopping Trip for September.

“Having a few fundraising ventures gives us an opportunity to support more and then hopefully expand to other things,” she said.

“We need to make this bigger because there are so many people who want to support it.”

Donna said while Jack wasn’t allowed to play a contact sport due to his condition, he loved being involved with the club by watching the football. To volunteer some time to one of the fundraising activities or to donate, email Donna at [email protected].