Crazy hair day for Radio Lollipop Gold Coast

A humble team at Coomera Playschool Early Learning Centre have put their heads together to organise a bold, bright and colourful fundraiser for Radio Lollipop.

After her son’s admission into the old Southport hospital a few years ago, Mum and childcare worker Taryn Bennett decided to return the favour.

Each room in the childcare centre chose a charity and promoted their cause with an event of their choosing, raising much-needed funds and awareness for the organisation. For Taryn, choosing Radio Lollipop was a no-brainer.

 

“I remember Radio Lollipop being a good distraction for both [my son] and our older daughter,” reminisced Mrs Bennett.

“We thought it would be a good idea to do a fundraiser for them.”

The staff opted for a Crazy Hair Day – a colourful array of coloured hairspray, curly pipe cleaners, creative add-ons like edible lollipops and string spray adorned every head that day.

“We decided on a crazy hair day so the children could get involved,” says Taryn.

All those who attended brought in either a gold coin donation or craft supplies, which included colouring-in books, paints, activity books, stickers, beads, finger puppets, Christmas crafts and assorted pencils and pens. With the total of amount raised, Taryn and the staff members will purchase more supplies to add to the generous pile of creative goodies.

Crafts are invaluable and essential items for Radio Lollipop volunteers. It allows a hands-on and engaging interaction with the sick children in hospital who might otherwise be stuck in bed all day.

A very big thank you to Taryn and the staff at Playschool Early Learning Centre in Coomera for organising this special event!

 

RL 2RL 1

Kirkintilloch Male Voice Choir, THANK YOU!

A massive thank you to everyone at the Kirkintolloch Male Voice Choir for inviting us to their Charity Evening and presenting us with a fantastic £1800 cheque.

The Charity Concert at St Mary’s on Thursday 30th November incorporates the 6th Primary Schools Choral Festival. Schools compete for the Blincow Shield sponsored by Jakemans Confectionary. Well done to all those involved, it was great evening with great talent.

Thanks again to the KMVC choir for their generous donation! #Forthekids

 

Local Rotary Club supports Gold Coast Sick Kids

Radio Lollipop Gold Coast recently received a very generous cash donation from Broadwater Southport Rotary Club​.

Our Fundraising Coordinators were invited to attend one of the club’s meeting at the Southport Yacht Club to be presented with the cheque. Katy and Jaime were very humbled to receive the $2,000 donation on behalf of the Gold Coast team.

Radio Lollipop were among other organisations which the rotary club was presenting donations to.

The club’s main focus is on assisting Youth locally on the Gold Coast , Australia Wide and Internationally. The volunteers in attendance thought that it was great to see that the club was also helping out other local organisations whilst being a volunteer organisation themselves.

Previously our Gold Coast Volunteers supported the club by helping out at their Kokoda Memorial Walk in 2014 where they were very impressed with our Roadshow.

The funds will go towards craft supplies, updating and maintaining our radio equipment and new games and activities to entertain the children at The Gold Coast Griffith University Hospital.

We would like to once again thank the Rotary Club of Broadwater Southport for their continued support.

Because of partnerships such as these, Radio Lollipop Gold Coast can continue to do what they do best, put smiles on the faces of children in hospital.

Give me Five! for Radio Lollipop Melbourne

PLC Cheque ceremonyOn Friday 6 March 2015, the Prep to Year 6 students at Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Melbourne Australia took part in Radio Lollipop day – a musical, colourful, fun-filled occasion to raise money for Radio Lollipop at Monash Children’s Hospital.

The students collected all their spare 5 cent coins and used them on Wednesday and Thursday to “Give me Five!” and vote for their favourite songs.

On Friday morning, Radio Lollipop Australia Board Director, Lisa Leong, was introduced at Assembly by her daughter Billie who is in Grade 1 at PLC, and then interviewed by Social Service Captains Sami Sharp and Georgiana Karakitsos about Radio Lollipop.

The Social Work Captains said: “We decided to support Radio Lollipop because we could empathise with the children in hospital and wanted to bring a smile to their faces”. Then, at lunchtime, the top ten songs with the most votes were played. Receiving the most votes – and beating Katy Perry and even Frozen’s Let it Go, was Geronimo by Sheppard! Everyone danced and sang along enthusiastically.

Radio Lollipop Melbourne was touched by the generosity of all the students and staff at PLC. Upon receiving a cheque for $800 from the school, Lisa thanked Sami and Georgiana, Social Service Co-ordinator, Hannah Bangah, and Head of the Junior School, Cheryl Penberthy, (who suggested the fabulous “Give me Five” concept!), and said: “as we heard in Assembly, “Give me Five” demonstrates that there is no contribution too small to make a difference”.

Photo 1: (L – R) Radio Lollipop Director Lisa Leong and her daughter Billie at Assembly.
Photo 2: Cheque Presentation at PLC. Hannah Bangah (Social Service Co-ordinator), Sami Sharp and Georgiana Karakitsos (Year 6 Social Service Captains), Bruce Uhlhorn (RL International Chairman), Lisa Leong (RL Australia Board Director), Billie Yuille (Daughter of Lisa!)