Thank you for your interest in our 2016 campaign of fundraising for sick and disadvantaged Australian kids and their families.
I am thrilled to announce that this year, the Hills District will once again be represented in the 2016 Variety Bash, commencing on Sept 30th in Warwick and concluding on the 9th October at The Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar race.
It is typical for The Variety Bash to generate a lot of local and National media attention each year, as Variety is a well respected charity and The Bash is a well known event and has been running for over 25 years now. But this year, the event provides a very special and exciting opportunity. Finishing at the Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar race ensures even more National (and local) recognition for the wonderful work Variety does and therefore all our sponsors who have enabled us to make such a huge difference to sick and disadvantaged kids all over Australia.
Who is Variety The Childrens Charity?
Variety The Children’s Charity is dedicated to improving the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged kids throughout Australia and the world. Funds raised from the Variety Bash are used to provide specialised equipment and services for children, community groups, schools and organisations. Aside from much needed equipment and facilities, Variety also provides life experiences for disadvantaged children and those living in remote areas. This is why, as a team, we have been all so inspired by the work we have personally seen Variety accomplish over the many years we have all participated in the Bash.
What is the ‘Variety Bash’?
The Variety Bash started in 1985 when adventurer Dick Smith took a group of intrepid motorists from Bourk to Burketown in their old cars, raising money for charity along the way. All the money went to Variety, The Children’s Charity to further its support of children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs. The Bash has been staged by Variety annually in every state of Australia since 1985 and still encapsulates the spirit of this original idea. Each team fundraises throughout the year, all vehicles must be 30 years or older and must be non-performance modified. The Bash is not a race or a rally, but a channel for everyone wishing to make a real difference to Australian families doing it tough – all the while seeing and experiencing the splendour of the Australian Outback.
Where does the money go?
Funds raised are donated to Children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs by the way of goods and services. In this way Variety is able to fill a vital gap between what families, schools and communities are able to afford and what our children need to lead engaged and fulfilling lives. An Appeals Committee assesses each individual request for assistance throughout the year. During the event we, as participants, are fortunate to witness numerous heart swelling and tear jerking moments as evidence of the amazing positive life changing impact Variety has on Aussie kids and their families. It is definitely the type of event and the type of Charity that has our team keep coming back to support year after year, inspired by making such a difference.
How can you get involved?
• A tax deductible donation to our 2016 campaign will be receipted by Variety The Childrens Charity. In exchange for your donation, we would like to offer advertising space on our vehicle, at all fundraising events we attend and also at the many towns during the ten days of the event
• Donation of any prizes we can then auction during the event.
• Donation of giveaways for kids as we make our way around the Bash route, these may include anything from lollies for fun, to hats, stickers, toys, school equipment and everything in between.
Our team;
Our team consists of four devoted fundraisers who have supported Variety for just shy of a decade…and supporting this charity has never been so much fun! We all share a strong passion to help those less fortunate and are continually inspired by the work Variety does with Aussie kids and their families.
Our team consists of;
• Anne Maree Howard (10th Bash)
• Barry Johnson (10th Bash)
• Steve Howard (5th Bash)
• And myself, Danielle Rose (8th Bash)
Our vehicle is our unique 1975 Kombi affectionately known as “Rosie” who brings smiles to all her meet her. Rosie is the equivalent of a moving billboard and creates attention wherever she goes!
As a team, we have always made the utmost effort to make as much of a difference as possible for not only Aussie kids and their families…but also to the fundraisers participating in the event who have personally engrossed a lot of time and money to support Aussies less fortunate. We have created a fun and colourful theme that stands out, dress up and are always in the thick of the action by participating fully in the spirit of the Bash. Each year, we tend to make quite an impression on local media, newspapers and with Channel 7 who broadcast our event nationally every year having been involved in many articles and interviews with each event we have entered. As we see it…the more promotion for Variety and our sponsors the better! Some of
our awards within Variety include;
1. 2010 Best Team Award
2. 2011 Bash Directors Award
3. 2014 Spirit of the Bash Award and
4. 2015 Best Theme Award…
5. We are also very proud of our achievement of twice reaching the goal of being in the top 10 fundraising teams. Not only does this help the kids as much as possible and generates a lot of publicity for the car and therefore our sponsors, but is quite a feat considering there are normally between 100-200 teams entered each year.
Our goal this year is to set a new record for the first VW Kombi to drive the track on the morning of the actual race with the V8 Supercars and especially due to the colourful nature of our theme and our tendency to make a big impression within the media, we intend on using this incredible opportunity for publicity to spread the wonderful work Variety does and all our sponsors who support as year after year so we can do what we do.
For more information on the wonderful work Variety does, please go to www.variety.org.au or to keep up with updates of our campaign and the Bash, please check out our Facebook Page that is updated regularly https://www.facebook.com/VarietyBashCar122
Our fundraising page can also be seen here
https://2016varietybash.everydayhero.com/au/variety-bash- car-122- hippyhornbags
Current Sponsors Include;
The Galston Club
Bunnings Dural
Mannells 4WD Accessories
Steve Howard & Sons Building
Bendigo Bank Galston
Caloundra RSL Sub Branch
Caloundra RSP Services Club
NCW Rose Carpentary Services
Maleny Auto Spares
Cruisin’ Canine Beautician
Stanton Building Consulting Services
Instyle Bridal
Irons Signs
Hills Laser & Beauty Clinic
BJ Lynch Building Pty Ltd
