Geelong pitches in for fundraiser

AN ONLINE fundraising forum has raised almost $100,000 for Geelong charities during a one-night donation drive.

Give Where You Live Foundation hosted its Pitch Up Geelong event earlier this month, which invited local residents and organisations to participate in a Zoom call and pledge cash contributions to one of three charities.

The fifth edition of Pitch Up delivered a total of $93,000 spread evenly among Hope Bereavement Care, Wellways Australia and Little Dreamers Australia.

“Thanks to the generosity of our matched funding partners and everyone who joined us at Pitch Up Geelong 2022, we raised over $90,000 for three deserving community organisations who are making a positive difference in the lives of young people across the G21 region,” GWYLF CEO Bill Mithen said.

Hope Bereavement Care received $33,000 from the event, which would extend its Kids Grieve Too program that supports young people experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one.

“When I saw the result all I could think about was, ‘How many conversations is that about grief and pain, and in terms of the ripple effect how many lives will that save?’,” Hope’s Sue Eddy said.

Wellways Australia claimed $30,000 on the night to improve mental health and social connection for Geelong’s LGBTIQ+ community.

“It was more than I could have imagined. I can’t wait to put it toward everything the LGBTQI+ community has been asking for, for years,” Amielle Penny said.

Little Dreamers also got $30,000 from this year’s Pitch Up to help support people aged up to 25 who provide care for a family member affected by disability, illness or addiction.

“We’re absolutely over the moon at what we’ve been able to raise and that we’ve been able to connect with these other amazing and beautiful organisations,” Georgia Stewart said.

Anthony Costa Foundation, gForce employment and recruitment, Harwood Andrews and Kerr’s Hire combined to match community contributions made on the night.