HAMILTON Lions Club is getting prepared for its annual fundraising efforts in the lead up to the Hamilton Victoria Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Good Friday Appeal on Friday, March 29.

Hamilton Lions Club member and Appeal coordinator, Allan Hadden, said a whole range of activities had again been organised locally to raise funds to enable the RCH to provide world class care for children.

However, Mr Hadden was asking the community for more helpers for the annual Appeal.

“The bulk of our door knocking is being held on Good Friday and is supported by many volunteers who have been doing it for many years,” he said.

“Our Appeal is being supported by many groups including many fire brigades - Hamilton Urban, Grange and Tarrington, Hamilton SES and Hamilton Football Netball Club, Hamilton Cadets, and these groups have been supporting this Appeal for many years.

“We are conducting barbecues at Coles on March 8, and at Bunnings on March 21, and also in early March we will raffle an Easter chocolate hamper until Good Friday, which usually raises between $3000-$4000.

“This has been well supported over the five years that Raelene (Allan’s wife) and I have been managing the Appeal.

“Alexandra House has allowed us to hold a raffle there on March 22 and again, have been a support for many years as well.”

Mr Hadden said last year the local RCH fundraising team were pleasantly surprised at the ‘Thankyou Night’ at the Hamilton Golf Club when it was announced that more than $61,000 had been raised locally.

“This put us in the top ten of the smaller regional cities in Victoria,” he said.

“Hopefully with funds from the successful Golf Day a couple of weeks ago, we may well be knocking on the door of $80,000 this year.

“It seems a big ask but let’s see how much we can raise in little old Hamilton.”

Mr Hadden said the Hamilton Lions were still waiting on supplies from Melbourne and then tin rattling and door knocking would commence.

“We appreciate most people have plans over Easter, and this provides an opportunity to door knock for the Appeal before Good Friday and still have a normal Easter,” he said.

“Over the last couple of years this flexibility has worked for the Appeal.

“We also remind door knockers they must have authorised name tags for identification purposes that protects both door knockers and people donating for the Appeal.”

Mr Hadden said one local legend had retired from door knocking this year after many years, which left a large area to door knock in the Rippon Road/George Street area.

“We have several other areas that we require assistance with, so anyone, or sporting groups that could help, we would love to hear from you,” he said. 

“Please remember most families in Hamilton will have a direct or indirect contact with the Royal Children’s Hospital where the treatment they receive is from one the best hospitals in the world.”

Mr Hadden said donations can be made through the many tins and Welby’s that are in many Hamilton businesses, and each of these tins also has a QR code on them which alleviates the need to carry cash and you can donate from $5 upwards.

Another way to donate was to use the Good Friday fund raising link that will work the same as the QR Code at bit.ly/3wwz8kf

Mr Hadden was pleased to advise that recently a RCH delegation travelled to Bendigo to announce - for the very first time - a portion of Good Friday Appeal funds raised had been given to regional hospitals.

This initiative recognised both the RCH’s vision to support an integrated paediatric care network across the state and the generous support of regional Victorians to the Appeal.

Included in the five regional health services to receive funds were Barwon Health, Bendigo Health, Grampians Health, Goulburn Valley Health and Latrobe Regional Health.

The Good Friday Appeal team are looking forward to seeing this new program grow in future years and seeing it work with all health services to deliver paediatric care and identify specific requirements in regional communities.