Kids Christmas party supports cancer research

THE Mining Exchange on Sturt Street Ballarat was a sea of kids, balloons, picnic rugs, mums, dads and grandparents at the FedUni Children’s Centres Christmas Party.

This is the third year that families from both Children’s Centres – at Mt Helen and SMB campuses – have come together in support of the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.

The Children’s Centres co-ordinator Sally Matthews said the kids in the crowd of about 300 were having a great time getting their face painted, making reindeer food, hand painting tree decorations and writing letters to Santa.

The university’s director campus life Colin Marshall said all funds raised by selling family tickets at $20, raffle tickets and snags from the barbeque on the night are donated to FECRI.

“FECRI is a close neighbour of ours on the SMB campus and we wanted to create an opportunity to bring both of our children’s centres together for a great cause.”

“When Ballarat teenager Fiona Elsey lost her cancer fight in 1991, she couldn’t have imagined how her courage and inspiration would motivate her community to support cancer research and fulfil her dream to build a research facility in Ballarat,” said FECRI board chairman Graeme Dixon when thanking everyone for attending on the night.