Volunteer firefighters from CFA’s Narre Warren and Berwick stations have joined forces and combined their tin-shaking efforts in their local community to raise much needed funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal in Melbourne.
Approx 20 volunteers from the two brigades attended the corner of Clyde Road and Princess Highway, Berwick to shake their tins at every red-light sequence at the popular intersection. They were supported by the brigade’s auxiliary members who staffed the Narre Warren catering van to ensure each volunteer had a hot morning tea and refreshments available.
Speaking exclusively to the Toorak Times, Pete Naismith from the Berwick CFA brigade said, “It’s an annual tradition for many years. We choose this intersection because it’s one that complies with (the roadside fundraising collections) permit safety criteria and the wonderful members from Narre Warren always team up with us for this special day”
The Toorak Times chief photographer, Lord Murray Schoorman met the volunteers at the site and was very impressed with the sense of community, with not only motorists offering donations, but pedestrians alike, making the effort to cross the road and contribute their hard earned cash to such a worthy cause.
The history of CFA being involved in the annual appeal stems back to the first all day Telethon which was broadcast on television into Victorian homes on Channel 7 (HSV-7) in 1957.
The CFA joined the Good Friday Appeal in 1951, with brigades beginning to fundraise for the Appeal just six years after the CFA was formed. Now, one of the most iconic and familiar sights of the Appeal is the thousands of volunteers rattling purple tins on fire trucks and standing at traffic lights right across Victoria.
The annual Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal is open until midnight tonight, Friday 29 March 2024 and you can donate online by visiting Donate | Good Friday Appeal or by calling 1300 277 325 from 9am to 11:30pm.
