Worthy wish: Wombat’s Wish to hold major fundraiser

A CHARITY event in Geelong later this month will help support the tragic circumstances that affect one in 20 Australian children before their 18th birthday.

Each year, about 100 children in the Geelong area experience the death of a parent, and Wombat’s Wish is the only specialist service that offers care and counselling to these children.

Losing a parent is an extremely difficult time for a child and their family, and can potentially result in long-term emotional health problems.

Wombat’s Wish assists bereaved children to find a way to live with loss and grief, move forward and take the next steps on their bereavement journey.

To support their efforts, the Drysdale-based charity is holding a fundraising gala at GMHBA Stadium on January 22.

Wombat’s Wish ambassadors at the event will include Geelong Cats star Tom Hawkins, former Cats chief executive officer Brian Cook and Melbourne Vixens vice-captain Emily Mannix, and Port Adelaide star Travis Boak will provide a video message.

Public speaker and author of Grief: A Guided Journal Jo Betz will be the MC.

Wombat’s Wish manager Nicki Dunne said the January 22 gala would be the charity’s first major fundraiser and aimed to raise $25,000 to fully fund the cost of one camp for 25 families.

“It’s basically a night for people to get together and have a good time, hear from our ambassadors and hear a little bit more about Wombat’s Wish.”

She said Wombat’s Wish had restructured its operations considerably over the past 18 months, going from an entirely volunteer-run charity to employing its first two part-time staff (including herself).

As a result, the organisation will increase the number of annual camps it runs from one in Anglesea in 2020 to six in 2022, and is now offering group counselling and one-on-one counselling.

“We travel all over the state to support children and bring them on camps, we’ll run camps in other regions of the state, in Shepparton and
Mount Macedon,” Ms Dunne said.

“We don’t get any government funding and we don’t charge them (families), we’re completely run through fundraising and madly grant writing and corporate sponsorship; we’ve got some really great Drysdale businesses on board.”

Camps in 2022 offered for the first time will include a returning families camp, for those who have been to a Wombat’s Wish camp before; and a camp just for teenage children.

Ms Dunne said she hoped for a good result from the gala so Wombat’s Wish could keep doing its vital work to help bereaved children not just in the Geelong region but across Victoria.

“It’s one child in every classroom in Victoria, so it’s really important we keep supporting these kids across their journey.”

The Wombat’s Wish Gala Fundraiser will be held at GMHBA Stadium, on January 22 from 6.30pm.

Tickets are $100 and are available via the Wombat Wish Facebook page.