Our own home-grown Variety Bashers are hitting the road again, having left Glen Innes on Saturday for the Newcastle starting point of the week-long fundraiser.
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Apiarists Hound and Tina Wolfe and graziers Baz and Deb Stapleton were eagerly anticipating what has become a highlight of their year. Going along with them – in addition to the strategically-packed luggage and spares and bee vests (apparently the cow onesies weren’t all that comfortable) – is some special motivation after seeing how their efforts have impacted one Glen Innes family.
Helping with the heavy lifting
Thanks to Variety Bash the Maybons were able to get a $6000 ‘Carrot’ car seat which makes getting 4.5-year-old Logan in and out of the high 4WD much easier. Moreover the seat will serve him up to the age of 12, and it comes with a number of accessories to make travelling easier.
Logan was born with Phelan McDermid Syndrome, which is a deletion or malformation of gene 22 resulting in a myriad of medical conditions. He is non-verbal and requires a pureed diet, and is just now hitting his 6-9 months development milestones.
His condition is rare with only 1400 known cases worldwide. In fact his mum Rochelle said the needs-based NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) has come as some relief, replacing the previous condition-based scheme where Logan’s situation wasn’t recognised under any tick box.
Logan can’t sit up by himself and he’s now nearly 20 kilos, but his new seat has a swivel base so that he doesn’t need to be lifted over the edge of a traditional car seat. It also reclines so that Logan can sleep without his head falling forward, cutting off his airway, as well as being more comfortable for him.
Rochelle encouraged others to get behind the good work of Variety Bash.
“Without their help we wouldn’t have the support we need,” she said.
Avoiding the black top
The bash takes a different route each year, and after just missing Glen Innes last year the Wolfes and Stapletons are campaigning for it to be included in next year’s itinerary.
“We get to see heaps of countryside,” Deb said.
This year’s route takes in Gilgandra, Cowra, Narrandera, Yass, Hound’s hometown Bathurst and Muswellbrook before returning to Newcastle. Much of the 3000 kilometres is on gravel roads, with it considered ‘cheating’ to go black top, meaning sealed roads.
While there’s a fundraising minimum of $3000 to participate, the couples have already raised more than $6000 with the big Gordon Creighton Gala football day kicking in $1000 of that.
Schools along the route – mostly small and/or isolated – get to nominate what they’d like to receive from Variety Bash, and participants gets to enjoy seeing the handover at the school-hosted breakfasts and lunches along the way.
With 80 to 90 cars involved, dinners are generally held at service clubs or bowls clubs en route.
“I’ve never laughed so much,” Deb said, “or cried so much when we hear the stories of families and children that Variety has helped.
“At dinner they often have one of the parents speak of their experiences, and you could hear a pin drop.”
‘Nanna’ is holding up well
The bashers’ vehicle of choice is the fondly-named ‘Nanna’, who boasts electronic ignition for the first time this year but she still needs a little coaxing to get going on a cold morning.
The ‘boys’ have been working on her and she’s holding up (which Tina finds amazing), but the 1975 Holden Kingswood has a guestimate of 232,000 kilometres on the clock. (Back in those days the odometre only went to 100,000K, so they’re not sure how many times it’s been around but the engine has been done up.)
In another first for this outing, Nanna is proudly sporting the sponsorship of the Railway Tavern, and the crew said it’s great to carry a local sponsor. Baz said the team is very grateful to all the local businesses and individuals who have contributed, and anyone else who would like to support the team can catch them in the street. All donations are 100 per cent tax deductible.
Donations can also be made online at https://nswbash2017.everydayhero.com/au/tina.
Track their progress
The Glen Innes Examiner will be tracking Nanna’s progress around the route, so keep on eye on the website for updates.