Charities
Darren is proud to be supporting Make-A-Wish Australia, the Children Hospital at Westmead and Legacy with his current adventure pursuits.
Mission
To grant the wishes of children and young people with life-threatening medical conditions and to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
Vision
All Australians have the opportunity to share the power of a wish.
Make-A-Wish® Australia history
In 1985, two Australians heard a speech that changed their lives. Since that moment, Make-A-Wish Australia has granted almost 7,000 wishes to Australian children with life-threatening medical conditions.
The first Australian wish was granted to 16-year-old Shawn Cleland of Footscray in Melbourne in 1985. An avid fan of what was then the VFL, Shawn’s wish was to meet the players of his beloved Footscray Football Club.
Shawn had never flown in a plane – so Make-A-Wish added an extra-special touch, flying Shawn to Sydney to see the Bulldogs play the Swans.
Shawn’s favourite player, Footscray legend, Simon Beasley, paid him a visit before the game, ‘Tell the team that if they get a thrashing they deserve a salary cut’, Shawn joked.
Make-A-Wish Australia is a non-profit organisation and is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International. Make-A-Wish organisations can now be found in 36 countries across the globe.
A recent survey found that Make-A-Wish wishes have a significant positive impact on the health and wellbeing of wish children. 97 percent of parents surveyed observed a ‘noticeable improvement’ in their child’s mental and emotional health following the granting of their wish and said physical health improved discernibly in as many as 75 percent of cases.
Make-A-Wish receives no ongoing government funding and is critically reliant on the generous support of individuals, organisations and fundraising initiatives like the Kilimanjaro Charity Challenge.
For further information regarding Make-A-Wish Australia, please call 1800 032 260 or visit: www.makeawish.org.au
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is the largest, highly respected paediatric centre in NSW, providing excellent care for children from NSW, Australia and across the Pacific Rim. Established in 1880, a stand alone public Hospital and registered charity, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead serves over 50,000 admitted sick children and their families each year in a family-focused healing environment.
People say what courage we have to be climbing some of the highest and most dangerous mountains around the world, but we would disagree.
The real courage is in the hearts and souls of the young children that face daily battles with sickness and injury in their lives at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Many of the children who are admitted with sickness or injury face fear, uncertainty, stress and unwelcome pain, so who are the real heroes?
Please help us support the Children’s Hospital at Westmead so we can make a difference in these children’s lives – they are our future and deserve our help.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead website: www.chw.edu.au
A promise was made to a dying soldier in the trenches of WWI. A promise that his family would be looked after. With recent conflicts, our work is as important today as it was when we began. Help us keep the promise, make a donation today.
Legacy is dedicated to caring for the families of deceased veterans. Today Legacy’s caring and compassionate service assists over 100,000 widows and 1900 children and dependants with a disability. Legacy is a voluntary organisation supported by veterans, servicemen and women, and volunteers drawn from all walks of life. Our support and services now extend to include the dependants of members of today’s Australian Defence Force who lose their lives as a result of their military service.
Legacy is dedicated to enhancing the lives and opportunities of our families through innovative and practical programs aimed at:
- the protection of individuals and families basic needs;
- advocating for their entitlements, rights and benefits;
- assisting families through bereavement; and
- helping people thrive, despite their adversity and loss.
Darren and Shane will once again proudly fly the Australian Returned & Services League (RSL) Flag on the summit of Mt McKinley (Denali) in honour of our fallen soldiers, and in recognition of the current serving members of our Australian Defence Force.
Caring for families of deceased veterans since 1923.
The Legacy website: www.legacy.com.au
