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If you asked Keira to describe a perfect afternoon I am pretty sure it would include fairy floss, face painting, a merry go round and a petting zoo too. Oh and a happy meal to round out the afternoon with Goldilocks and one of the three bears walking past to say hi.
And that is how we spent Saturday afternoon when we visited Westfield Chatswood for their first ever Give Ability day. The centre, along with all Westfields around Australia, was raising funds to be donated to their local charity partner, The Shepherd Centre. You might remember that they help hearing impaired little ones attend mainstream school and with 70% of their revenue coming from fundraising it’s great to see a big business like Westfield getting onboard to help out.
It takes a special someone to collect money in shopping centres for charity but the collectors were having fun – maybe it was because they were standing so close to the fairy floss machine. I know I’d be pretty happy there myself. We let Keira put money in the tins and she loved to take her time putting each coin in one by one. It was a slow process but great if you want to get the money shot!
See how happy the volunteers were! It was great to see lots of customers stopping by making donations and those with little kids letting them have some fun. There were activities spread all over the centre and as soon as I heard the words ‘petting zoo’ I knew we had to head there. In fact it was definitely the hottest place to be. Kids everywhere and I struggled to get a photo of just my little ones in there. But at $5 entry it was good to know that all of the money collected was going to the Shepherd Centre. You don’t have to be an accountant to do the maths on that one and know it will be a great day for the charity!
My favourite part of the day was the fairy floss. Poor little keira would innocently give it to me to hold and I forgot how much I loved the stuff and how long it had been without it. Yum.
Keira decided she wanted to go back to the shops tomorrow to do it all over again and I had to let her down lightly that everything was there for a special occasion to raise money for little children. Well done Westfield and all of the lovely people who volunteered their time on the day. For your first Give Ability day it was a very fun event for the little ones and unfortunately has sent a high standard for shopping trips out from now on. How to explain there won’t be face painting, fairy floss, a merry go round or petting zoo the next time we go to Westfield.
But I’ll definitely mark my diary for next year’s event. And I can’t wait to hear how much money was raised by all of the Westfield centres around Australia on Give Ability day to help little ones with disabilities.
Keira is just beautiful, a little doll.
What a fantastic initiative by Westfield. Sounded like a hoot and a half too! :o)
Lovely pics!
O! Melt in the mouth fairy floss. Yump-yum. So much better than having your face painted or riding on the merry go round. I tend to be a naughty Mummy when I hold it too. I love the purpose of the charity being helped as I am sure do all the parents whose children benefit (maybe not so much the kiddies who would rather not have to go to school everyday but that is another matter entirely ;). Cherrie
Looks like a event. I’m sure lots of children will benefit from the funds raised. Here, all children are allowed to attend public schools. Our school systems have special teachers and classes so that children with disabilities are in the same schools and classrooms with the other kids. I worked in “Special Educatiom” for most of my teaching career. I’m retired now and have a full time taking care of a grandchild while his mommy works.
I enjoy visiting your blog. Your children are precious.
A great event. Can’t believe I published that error
what a great idea. I wish I had know it was on. And don’t get me started on fairy floss. yum
Oh yum I haven’t had fairy floss in so long. Now I want some lol.
What a fanastic fundraiser. My boys would have loved a day like that too.
That sounds like a pretty great day! And i love the face paint, so fun. x
“If you haven’t any charity in your heart you have the worst kind of heart trouble” to cure it help people, let’s unite for one good cause, be a volunteer”save lives”! mawaddainternationalaid