FACE painting, live music and a massive collection of auction and raffle items will see Casterton Central become Party Central once again, this Good Friday.

Lionel and Bronwyn Balzan and their team have hosted Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal parties for the past three years – last year alone raising around $10,000 for the cause – and said they were looking forward to an even bigger and better event in 2022.

An emotional Mr Balzan said a childhood illness and his family’s gratitude for having healthy children themselves, was behind the drive to contribute to the annual appeal.

“We’re just in a position where we can and we know how lucky we are,” he said.

“(Daughter) Amber was involved in doing things with Ronald McDonald House and we know how important the hospital is to the families there, families everywhere.”

The Central team will be up early to start the day on Friday, with every cent from every coffee sold throughout the day going into the appeal kitty.

Mrs Balzan said this year’s effort – as in previous years – was a whole-community effort, with dozens of businesses donating items for their annual, online goods and services auction and raffles.

“We’ve packaged items together this year, so you’re not just bidding on an item, but an experience,” she said.

“I’ve got the ‘date night’ package, which includes things like accommodation voucher, petrol voucher, hair voucher, make-up voucher, bottle of wine, all the things you need for a night out,” she said.

“The blokes one has got things like Gold Medallion footy tickets to Geelong versus St Kilda in round nine.

“Everyone has been extremely generous with their donations, we’ve got a chainsaw from Jarrad Motors, three beautiful artworks from Grotti Lotti, there’s something for everyone.

“And the raffles have got a huge amount of donated items in them, pantry fillers, pamper items, bottles of wine, most donated by Foodworks and John and Kathryn Webb.

“And as always, we’ve got a donated cake from Chris Gorman at Chrissy.Made … it’s a bit different this year, because Chris is away at the moment, so she has donated the cake as a voucher, which is great for anyone who’s planning a party six months from now, to get a custom cake made.”

All auction items will be posted on the Casterton Central Facebook page where bids can be made until close of auction, on Good Friday and Casterton Central will be open all day, with live music in the alfresco area and food and drinks available, all day.

Ready to raise the bar

IN 2021, Casterton district contributed almost $27,000 to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, smashing the previous local record by more than $10,000.

“Last year’s effort from the district just blew us out of the water,” Barb McDonald said.

“The aim is always to raise as much as possible to support the amazing work done at RCH and every year where we have exceeded the previous total has been a bonus.

“The Good Friday Appeal is an institution in Casterton and there are so many residents who have their donations ready for volunteers who knock on their door on Friday morning and everyone gives what they can.

The Good Friday Appeal is an institution in Casterton and there are so many residents who have their donations ready for volunteers who knock on their door on Friday morning and everyone gives what they can.

Barb McDonald

“In a year that was tough on so many people, financially, we just can’t thank everyone enough for digging deep and supporting the hospital in such a huge way.”

Around 40 volunteers put their hands up to pound the pavement in 2021 and Mrs McDonald said indications were the number would grow, this Friday.

“Every year there are families and individuals who return to take their regular routes for collecting and last year we had quite a few new faces on the team, including a group from the footy and netball club,” she said.

“We have families and groups who take a tour around the outlying communities like Sandford, Wando Vale and Bahgallah and there are residents in those areas who don’t start their day until they’ve seen the Good Friday Appeal collectors.

“Those volunteers are the backbone of the whole event – without them, it literally would not go ahead.

“We thank everyone who gives up their morning to rattle a tin, whether it be for half an hour or a couple of hours – we know that every minute volunteered is time you can’t get back and is priceless to your family, as well as the Good Friday Appeal.”

She also thanked the district’s businesses, community organisations and sporting clubs, who supported the Good Friday Appeal, year-round.

“I think there are very few businesses or organisations who have some sort of front counter and don’t have a Good Friday Appeal collection tin,” she said.

“Individual donations in those tins are things like customers dropping in the coins from their change after a purchase, or the business or organisation kicking-off the tin with their major donation for the year.

“It doesn’t matter how big or small, because those collection tins are proof that every cent counts and virtually every tin contributes hundreds of dollars each, to the annual appeal total.”

Anyone who would like to help out with this year’s door knock appeal is invited to head down to the meeting point at Island Park at 9am, where they will be allocated a route to follow.

All volunteers are invited to join to appeal committee for refreshments, including sandwiches and a cold drink or cuppa, after they have finished their run.