News

The August 7 announcement that Variety, the children’s charity had made a $600,000 grant to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), was a golden day for the children of South Australia.

The news coincided with the presentation of Gold Door Panels to the ‘Top 10’ Bash Cars in the 2009 Variety SA Bash for their exceptional fundraising.

The $600,000 contribution will be used by the RFDS to purchase essential medical equipment and complete the medical fit-out required to convert a new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft into a flying intensive care unit when it arrives in Adelaide next year.

“Variety has always assisted children in rural and remote areas, and what better way to do this than to partner again with the Royal Flying Doctor Service,” said Variety SA Chairman, Peter Curtis, at the announcement of the grant.

“More than 2000 children throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory rely on the RFDS every year,” Mr Curtis said.

“Children living in the city also benefit from the RFDS – not just when families travel to the bush, but at least once a fortnight the RFDS will fly a baby or young child from Adelaide to Melbourne for life-saving cardiac surgery,” Mr Curtis said.

RFDS Central Operations CEO John Lynch described Variety’s outstanding contribution as a ‘golden day’ for the children of South Australia.

“We applaud Variety’s generosity to the RFDS, and its on-going support of families living in rural and remote communities,” Mr Lynch said.

“In fact, this will be the second medical fit-out of a RFDS aircraft sponsored by Variety. In 2002 it granted the funds to medically-equip Foxtrot-Golf-Tango (VH-FGT) – (the aircraft in the above photo).

“These grants acknowledge the important role that property owners and rural communities play in the success of the annual SA Variety Bash throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory,” he said.

The 2009 SA Variety Bash commenced on Saturday 15 August from Adelaide’s Victoria Square when 125 cars embarked on their 2650 kilometre journey to Alice Springs.

Joining the Bash for the first time was Adelaide resident Will Chapman. Will and his wife Edwina (pregnant with their first child) were on Kangaroo Island when Edwina experienced complications with her pregnancy.

Edwina and her unborn child were evacuated to back to Adelaide for emergency treatment by a RFDS crew and aircraft – the one medically-equipped in 2002 with Variety funding and bearing the Variety logo.

“Our 17-month-old daughter, Adelaide Grace, is happy and healthy today due to the fantastic fundraising efforts of Variety SA and the vital work of Royal Flying Doctor Service,” Mr Chapman said.

Inspired by Variety’s support of organisations like the RFDS and children in need, the Chapman family decided to give back to the community and help raise much needed funds to support Variety’s charitable purposes.