Working in the local business community I attend many fundraisers and support lots of charity events to help both local and larger not for profits and charities. We love being involved in this as I personally am committed to giving back to the local community in any way I can.
In recent years a friend of ours had a young child diagnosed with Leukaemia. Clearly devastating for them, and due to the rapid onset of the condition they relocated from rural NSW to Sydney the day after the diagnosis for treatment. They were ‘lucky’ only because they had close family living within a 20 minute drive of the hospital, so they moved in for the 8 months or so that they needed to be in Sydney for ongoing treatment.
The good news is they have now been able to move back ‘home’ and the child is in remission and doing really well!
I know how challenging their struggle was, and they had great support.
I became aware of the work Central Coast Kids In Need do via another supporter of theirs, Bloom Photography and Portrait Studio. Last year I had some portraits taken of my two beautiful children and found out that they donate a % from every portrait sitting to Central Coast Kids In Need, so I looked the charity up.
Here’s what I found out (www.cckin.com.au)
Central Coast Kids In Need was founded 18 years ago in 1993. A local Central Coast mother was staying at Ronald McDonald House with her sick son when the Manager suggested she start a ‘volunteer fundraising group’ on the Central Coast to
help other parents with their accommodation bills. These families all have seriously ill children with prolonged illness (a very large proportion are cancer patients, others with organ transplants and premature babies with life threatening health issues).
Not everyone is aware that there is a $33/night fee to stay at the RonaldMcDonald Houses. As an example, following a bone marrow transplant a child needs to be isolated for some 6 weeks before returning home to the Central Coast. Bills for thousands of dollars would financially ruin young families.
Central Coast families do not qualify for any government assistance as only families more than 100 kms away from the treating hospital are eligible.
I thought it was a fantastic cause, and like many others I had no idea that facilities like Ronald McDonald House do attract a minimal cost. I decided then that I wanted to do something to help.
Pink Rose Day has been inspired from that idea. Whilst as an individual I am keen to contribute, I thought I could do more, and wanted to do something that would become regular, and ongoing to support this great local group of volunteers.
My hope is that Pink Rose Day becomes an annual event which continues to grow each year, providing more and more support to Central Coast Kids In Need.
Kristy-Lee Johnston, Director Footprint Recruitment and HR