The Bellarine digs deep to support sick kids

FUNDRAISING events held across the Bellarine on Good Friday have raised thousands and thousands of dollars for the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal.

The Queenscliff Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club raised more than $41,500 during their Good Friday Eggstravaganza – a spectacular recordbreaking effort for them.

In its sixth year, the Eggstravaganza offered loads of activities for the kids, including a jumping castle, craft station, face painting, handball competition, netball shootout, bunny bowling and the main event; Easter egg hunts in age groups.

The Tin Shed, AKA Barwon Grove Golf Club, raised an impressive $40,502.75 from their annual Good Friday fundraising event, which included traditional and silent auctions, raffles and gold coin entry fee.

“This is our best yet and we thank you everyone who donated, came today, purchased items & helped us!” organisers said.

“We are really proud and truly grateful!” Uncle Bobs Club Bellarine Branch – a local community group based in Drysdale raising money for sick and disabled children and the Royal Children’s Hospital – raised a grand total of $51,809.24.

“A huge thank you to the communities of Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Curlewis, Portarlington, Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale,” the Branch posted to Facebook.

The Bellarine Railway also held annual fundraising trips on Good Friday, while the Barwon Heads Art Group donated proceeds from its annual Easter Art Show to the Appeal.

“On Good Friday we raised $137 for the Appeal, I guess it is not a lot compared to others but we are very proud of the amount as this art show is very small with just over 100 paintings on show,” convenor Dorothy Van Dorp said.

“We are a hand full of senior citizens putting on this art show and we are very proud to be in the position to be able to present this amount.”

Ms Van Dorp said overall it was once again a very successful show.

“We would like to thank the community and visitors for their support over the four-day period, as without them we would not be able to have an art show.

“We will now start painting getting ready for the Melbourne Cup Art Show, and we will have a lot more new paintings on show.”

Students from Christian College’s Bellarine Campus also raised more than $1800 for the Appeal during a Term 1, Project Care initiative.

The Year 9 students from the ‘Business of Food’ elective cooked over 350 pizzas for the students to purchase for the great cause!

Communities from Victoria and beyond dug deep, producing another record-breaking total for The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal with a total of $18,175,467 raised.

Since 1931 the Good Friday Appeal has now contributed more than $363 million to The Royal Children’s Hospital.