Variety - the Children's Charity NSW/ACT

This holiday season, your extraordinary generosity has brought magic to the lives of countless children, enabling us to fulfill thousands of Christmas wishes and host two unforgettable Variety Kids Xmas Parties in Newcastle and Sydney Zoo.🎄 These special events were brimming with fun, laughter, and pure magic. The children we support, as well as their families and carers, experienced the wonder of Christmas from thrilling rides and captivating performances to unforgettable animal encounters and special visits from beloved characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, Wonder Woman and, of course, Santa Claus! 🎅 We’re incredibly grateful to our dedicated volunteers, corporate suppliers Woolworths Supermarkets and valued event sponsor McDonald Jones Stadium. Your tireless efforts have made a lasting impact on the lives of these children. ❤️ Together, we’ve created memories that will be cherished forever. #varietykidsxmasparty #varietynswact

In preparation for our 2024 Variety Kids Xmas Parties in Newcastle, Dubbo and Sydney we had corporate volunteers from Mastercard, Telstra, HSBC and Endeavour Energy (NSW) help wrap over 1750 presents. We are so grateful for the festive cheer everyone brought to the office to kick off the holiday season with joy, carols and awesome teamwork. Your time and energy will be greatly appreciated by all the wonderful kids who are attending our 2024 Variety Kids Xmas Parties. Thank you! #varietynswact #varietykidsxmasparties

This month, 91 Dashers took on the ultimate challenge of the 2024 Variety Postie Bike Dash, raising an enormous $371,000 to support kids in need. The epic six day adventure saw our Dashers conquer more than 1,300 kilometres of Australian bush, hand delivering grants to seven regional communities across New South Wales and Victoria. Congratulations to our Spirit of the Dash winner, Allan Tisdell (better known as Postman Pat), who got involved with every community we stopped at by collecting kids' letters in his post box on the back of his bike. A special thank you to our Highest Individual Fundraiser David Doherty (Red Dog) and our Highest Fundraising Team, the Tamex Postie Dogs. We are so grateful for all our dedicated Dashers, OVs, friends and supporters who helped us over our six day adventure. Thank you to our generous sponsors First National Real Estate, Tamex Transport and Australia Post. Without your ongoing generiosity, the Variety Postie Bike Dash would not have been possible. If you're interested in how you can get involved with Variety in 2025, take a look at the Motoring Events we have on offer: https://lnkd.in/gBWB5Ggw #postiebikedash23 #varietynswact #varietydash #FirstNationalRealEstate #TamexTransport #AustraliaPost

Congratulations to the Ekert Family for receiving Variety's most prestigious honour, the 2024 Presidential Citation Award, which is assessed by Variety - the Children's Charity International. ❤️ Each year, every Variety Tent around the world has the privilege of one nomination, and we nominated the entire Ekert family for their unwavering generosity and support of Variety NSW/ACT. Collectively, the Ekerts have participated in 63 Variety Motoring Events: 🚗4x Variety B to B Bashes 🏁18x Variety NSW Bashes 🚙40x Variety 4WD Adventures 🏍️1x Variety Postie Bike Dash The Ekert family, led by Trish and Don, truly epitomise Variety’s values of joy, community, action and equality. Their infectious positivity brings a light-hearted fun to every event they are a part of, making them loved and respected by all who meet them. We are so grateful for their can-do attitude in getting involved in every aspect of Variety's Motoring Events. Thank you, Trish, Don, Wayne, Lisa, Mark, Kathy, Paul, Mandy, Peter, Leanne, Matt, Sheree, Maree, Robert and Carmel. 🎉 We can't wait for 63 more events with you all! #varietynswact #varietymotoring #varietypresidentialcitation

Last month, we delivered a Variety Sunshine Coach to Hastings Secondary College to support their Supported Learning Faculty. It was such a delight to see the smiles on the student's faces as their new Coach was delivered. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day, including our passionate Dashers who made an appearance. Hastings Secondary College Principal, Meaghan Cook, told Variety about the opportunities the Sunshine Coach provides for the students at the College. "This bus will enable our students to access a variety of community programs, including Riding for the Disabled, Sailability, work experience opportunities and Transition to Post School Options programs. It will also allow us to engage in essential social skills development, shopping programs, and a range of excursions and camps - all of which build confidence and independence in real-world environments," Meaghan said. "What makes this bus particularly special is its ability to transport students who use wheelchairs, ensuring that every one of our students can participate fully in these vital activities. The accessibility it provides opens up so many enriching experiences for all of our students." Head to our website to find out more about other ways that we support kids in need: https://lnkd.in/g3jBKNCZ #varietynswact #varietysunshinecoach #varietygrant

The 2024 Variety Postie Bike Dash has officially hit the road with 91 Dashers conquering the Australian bush over six days. We are so thrilled to have committed fundraisers who jump in every year at the opportunity to raise money in support of kids in need. Thank you to First National Real Estate, Tamex Transport and Australia Post for your ongoing support of the Variety Postie Bike Dash. For those who want to follow all the action, head to our Instagram and Facebook pages and check out our daily updates. https://lnkd.in/g75J79wz https://lnkd.in/gFDEjUSm #varietynswact #varietypostiebikedash #postiebikedash24

From 18 September until 8 October 2024, the Woolworths Supermarkets Small Change Appeal raised $164,862 to support kids in need. We would like to thank Woolworths customers and the Woolworths team for their ongoing support. Your small change has made a big impact to lives of kids who are sick, experiencing disadvantage or living with disability. The funds raised through the Woolworths Small Change Appeal will help schools like Cecil Hills High School who were granted a Variety Sunshine Coach. The coach, which is designed to be used by the students in Cecil Hills High School's Support Unit, has been fitted with vehicle modifications to accommodate for three students who use wheelchairs. Head Teacher, Kelly Ford, said the students had been very excited about the arrival of their Sunshine Coach, "They can't wait to get in and go out on an excursion, to a sporting event, or out to the community". The partnership between Variety and Woolworths Supermarkets has been a collaboration of compassion and commitment since 2013. Over the course of 11 years, we have worked hand in hand to have a profound impact on the lives of children in need across NSW and the ACT. Thank you, Woolworths, for your unwavering support! #varietynswact #woolworths #smallchangecanmakeabigimpact

Thank you, One Rail Australia, for your support of Variety over the years and your commitment to ensuring all kids in Australia have the same opportunities regardless of ability or circumstance. We can't wait to see what's in store for our partnership in the future.

Last month, we teamed up with Woolworths Supermarkets to deliver a Variety Sunshine Coach to Grafton High School, helping to make sure that all kids in Australia have access to the same opportunities regardless of ability or circumstance. Variety Sunshine Coaches are granted to schools and community organisations that support children living with a disability, chronic illness, financial hardship or geographic isolation. Donations from Woolworths and funds raised during the annual state charity appeals at Woolworths supermarkets amounting to over $120,000 in NSW, helped to bolster the funds raised by the school to deliver the custom fitted coach. Thanks to the Clarence Valley Independent for joining us at the Sunshine Coach presentation. Relieving Principal of GHS Lisa Hill told the Clarence Valley Independent that the arrival of the Sunshine Coach, affectionately named ‘Rosie’, means a great deal to the local high school, and the collaborative contributions of funds raised between GHS, Variety NSW/ACT, and Woolworths to purchase the coach has truly exemplified the power of community support. “’Rosie’ will provide invaluable transport, ensuring our students can access and participate in a range of different experiences and open doors to countless opportunities for exploration and engagement in various curriculum and extra-curricular activities,” Lisa said. To read more about the impact the delivery of 'Rosie' has had on Grafton High School, click through to the Clarence Valley Independent's write up: https://lnkd.in/gV6TsPgj #varietynswact #varietysunshinecoach #graftonhighschool #woolworths #clarencevalleyindependent

We are thrilled to announce the results of the much anticipated 2024 Woolworths Supermarkets Inaugural Soccer Day Tournament which raised over $55,000 to support Variety - the Children's Charity NSW/ACT! 42 teams, from various Woolies stores across New South Wales, took the field for an exciting competition. Thank you, Woolworths, for organising such a fun day, and thank you to everyone who participated in the friendly competition and bringing great team spirit. Congratulations Greystanes Woolworths Team who won the Soccer Day and took home the trophy! We are grateful for this longstanding partnership with Woolworths, whose unwavering support of kids in need makes a world of difference to families across the country. We are very excited to continue this partnership for years to come. #varietynswact #woolworths #woolworthssoccerday2024