The Starlight Children's Foundation helps brighten the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children around Australia. This Sunday at The Dome, Starlight and the Essendon Football Club are calling on members, sponsors and supporters of both the Bombers and the Bulldogs to support Starlight's fundraising appeal.
The aim of this particular appeal is to raise $14,000. This amount will allow one wish to be granted to a seriously ill child and fund the placement of a Starlight Fun Centre (a mobile entertainment unit) in a Victorian hospital.
Starlight Fun Centres are special mobile entertainment units that roll into action in paediatric units around Australia every day. These fantastic centres are wheeled to hospitalised children who are sometimes too sick to leave their beds. They are a welcome distraction from pain, discomfort and boredom, bringing laughter and a sense of fun - something that hospitalisation just does not do.
Starlight Fun Centres cost $10,000 each, however, so there are only a few around the country. Football fans can help local children in hospital smile by putting a gold coin in a donation tin at the match or making a donation online when they return home at www.starlight.org.au.
Granting a Starlight Wish gives a child and their family the chance to escape the everyday worries of serious illness and have some fun. It's a chance to have time together as a family, even if it's just for a while. Bradley was granted his wish by Starlight and the Essendon Football Club last season.
Bradley is 17 and a mad Essendon fan. Bradley also has Cerebral Palsy and although he uses a wheelchair nothing stopped him taking up the opportunity of a lifetime - to meet his favourite football heroes of the Essendon Football Club. The wish was granted through the Starlight Children's Foundation and Essendon Football Club.
Bradley flew from Katherine in the Northern Territory for his wish. It was the first time he had been on a plane, the first time he had travelled interstate and it was certainly the first time he was to be up close with the players of Essendon Football Club.
Bradley spent an afternoon rubbing shoulders with his heroes, including Matthew Lloyd and Kevin Sheedy. To Bradley's absolute delight, he was in the privileged position of being in the Bomber's rooms before and after the match. When the players ran onto the field Bradley joined them. As Bradley was unable to wheel his chair onto the ground, Essendon supporters carried him through the banner.
Bradley and his Guardians - Ross and Jonnali as well as his best friend Sebastian (also with Cerebral Palsy) spent the whole week leading up to the big game, in Melbourne. They toured the MCG, attended Essendon training sessions and visited the Zoo. But the highlight of the week was undoubtedly the Friday night game where Bradley's ultimate wish came true. ""Bradley has
been looking forward to this wish for ages now, we can hardly believe it has finally happened."" Said Bradley's carer Jonnali. ""We are so grateful to the Starlight Children's Foundation and the Essendon Football Club for making Bradley's dream come true, it really has made a huge difference in his life.""
Take time at Essendon's Round 22 game to make a donation or purchase some Starlight merchandise and you too can help make a wish come true.
