Community Support

Through various Guest Activities held throughout the year we raise money for charities within the local community and local children with illnesses, the funds raised go towards helping ease some of the medical expenses that families may incur or to buy specific items to help make the children's lives more comfortable during their illness.

2008

This year 2008, our aim is to raise $6000 for local 8 year old Sarah Strohfeldt. Sarah has suffered from a severe heart condition from birth and with the money raise her family would like to buy air-conditioning for their house as it is imperative that Sarah doesn't get too hot with her condition.

Please see to follow the heartwarming courageous story of Sarah's life as told by her Mother...

Sarah was born on the 15th of February, 2000. The doctors and nurses of the Proserpine Hospital noticed immediately that something was wrong, but did not have the expertise to discover what the problem was.

After 2 days in the Mackay Base Hospital Special Care Nursery, Sarah and I were flown to The Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside, Brisbane. Sarah was admitted to Children’s Ward. Several hours after we arrived in Brisbane, I met Dr Chris Whight, a cardiologist who had diagnosed Sarah’s condition as Long QT Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that could kill quickly and quietly without warning.

My husband Cliff and I were informed that Sarah would need a pacemaker and medication to control her condition. At 10 days of age our daughter underwent surgery to insert a pacemaker to regulate her heart. After almost 3 weeks in hospital, Sarah finally arrived home to her siblings and other family members. Because Sarah had remained asympathetic, showing no symptoms, doctors were confident that Sarah would have a relatively normal life.

Apart from regular medication and checkups, our lives were almost normal.

Our world turned on its axis on the 5th of May 2000, when Sarah suffered a cardiac arrest in the main street of Proserpine. We had gone to town to have a portrait of the children taken, and were near our GPs surgery when Sarah arrested in my arms. I threw my baby at our GP. CPR was started and an ambulance called. I could see by my doctor’s face that he didn’t think Sarah would make it.

Eventually an ambulance arrived and raced her off to hospital with sirens screaming. Cliff, myself and kids and my mum and dad arrived at the hospital expecting to have lost our little girl. Miraculously our little girl had survived; doctors and nurses had shocked Sarah with a defibrillator into a sinus rhythm. Once again an ambulance left with Sarah, heading for the Base Hospital in Mackay.

Cliff and I drove to Mackay, not knowing whether our daughter had suffered any brain damage. We arrived at the Intensive Care Unit, and to our relief and joy Sarah responded to our voices and demanded to be fed. A new medication was being given to her through a drip, to stabilize her rhythm and to prevent another arrest.

2007

 Left to right - Naomi McKinnon (Adventure Whitaunday), Kerry and Blake Reid and Tanya Cran (Adventure Whitsunday)

Last year in 2007 we raised a total of $6194.70 for a very special little boy - Blake Reid. Blake is 6 years old and suffers from severe cerebral palsy, with the money raised through various guest activities the family purchased a much needed support chair. The support chair has enabled Blake to participate more in everyday activities both with his family and with his friends in and out of school  - so a BIG thank you to all of our guests who  participated in our events, donating money and to the local Whitsunday tour operators for donating tours to be raffled off at various events - it was lovely to see such a BIG smile on Blake's face!

2006

Jessi Rae Clark was the first local child we raised money for in 2006, prior to this we donated money raised through out the years to local clubs and group charities. Jessi Rae was 15 months old at the time and was born with Cerebral Palsy. Jessi had to fly to Melbourne to spend 40-60 hours in an oxygen chamber to help cognitive development with brain function. There is no known cure for Cerebral Palsy and Jessi had already received 64 hours of treatment. At $550.00 per day it is expensive for any parent to afford and none of the expenses are covered by public or private medicare insurance. Through weekly BBQ's , pizza nights and charity events our fabulous guests raised a total of $6000.00 in 2006  and the family also purchased Jessi a special pram with the money.