Cats on board as Good Friday Appeal build begins

A QUARTET of Geelong Cats stars joined the start of the build for the house to be auctioned as part of next year’s Good Friday Appeal.

Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins, Sam De Koning and Tom Stewart helped with a banner run-through and met Royal Children’s Hospital patients Alexandra Luburic and Tommy Maxwell during the event at Club Armstrong, which celebrated the pouring of the slab for the house in Electric Crescent, Armstrong Creek.

Tommy, 12, was born with aortic stenosis, a potentially fatal condition where the aortic valve narrows abnormally.

He underwent his first open-heart surgery within 48 hours but suffered a cardiac arrest a few hours later. On day 15, he had a second life-saving operation.

“You wouldn’t know it now,” dad Stuart said. “He’s nearly six feet tall, and he’s very well.”

Alex, six, suffers from neurofibromatosis, which causes tumours on her nerves, requiring her to wear a plex form.

Both youngsters received a gift pack from the Cats stars as part of the event.

The Royal Children’s Hospital fundraiser, by Henley Homes and Villawood Properties, is an annual fixture of the Good Friday Appeal ­and a major contributor to the fundraising, contributing more than $1 million in each of the past three years.

This year’s Good Friday Appeal property will be a two-storey Juno 442-D48 home with a Kube facade from Henley’s Mainvue collection.

“The winning bidder on auction day will be stepping into a home brimming with stunning features and fixtures,” Henley Properties Group chief executive officer Antony Blackshaw said.

 

 

Everything in the home is donated ­– including the land, all materials, fittings, furnishings and landscaping ­– with all trades and supplier’s services, skills and materials also provided for free.

The house will be the 46th home built and donated by Henley for The Royal Children’s Hospital, and Villawood has now donated more than $5.5 million worth of land towards the Good Friday Appeal.

All funds raised at the no-reserve auction and street carnival on April 18, 2025 will go to the Good Friday Appeal.

Villawood executive director Rory Costelloe said the auction home was all about helping The Royal Children’s Hospital continue their world-class levels of care.

“We all know someone who’s needed The Children’s.

“For many of us, it’s been our own families, so we know first-hand just how valuable it is.

“This is why we do the auction home every year. And it’s why so many people get on board with their supplies, labour and support.

“Truth is, there’s a small army behind every auction and they’re all wearing their heart on their sleeve. This is a true labour of love for a great Victorian cause.”

Mr Blackshaw said the Good Friday Appeal home auction continued to grow from strength to strength.

“Is it possible to break another GFA Home auction record for 2025? We will all certainly give it a shot.

“Last year, we raised a record-breaking $1.11 million in Tarneit and we are hopeful this year to be another wonderful year for The Royal Children’s Hospital.”