Grandma Betty sold plants
89-year-old Betty Rushforth has a passion for gardening. She organised a plant sale and opened her garden to visitors, and raised $1000.
“I have always enjoyed gardening! I can’t donate much money but I can help by potting and selling my plants. I hope research money can help my great grand-daughter Matilda who has Sanfilippo Syndrome.”
-Betty
Gwenda made masks
Gwenda Johnson regularly makes and sells jam, cakes and lavender bags for Sanfilippo, in honour of her grandson Kyuss who has Saniflippo. When COVID-19 struck, she fired up her sewing machine and made hundreds of masks, and raised $2,000.
“Our kitchen is a crazy production line but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We have a responsibility to chip in where we can.”
-Gwenda’s husband Graeme
Maddie & Dan got engaged!
Madeline and Daniel decided their guests should donate to the Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation in lieu of gifts at their engagement party. They raised $1000.
“I’m inspired by the work of this Foundation and the story of Isla and Jude Donnell, two siblings with Sanfilippo. Daniel and I have no need for any more material possessions or gifts at this celebration so asked our guests to donate.”
-Madeline.
Teghan and Bree walked 15,000 steps a day
Carers Teghan Henderson and Bree Pellow who both care for 10-year-old Skye Robson who has Sanfilippo, rallied 15 walkers to each walk 15,000 steps per day for an entire month. The team raised $12,000.
“Due to Covid-19, we were limited but throughout lockdown what we enjoyed most was getting outside and walking. We know so many people who love Skye as much as we do, and they signed up to do 15,000 steps a day with us.”
-Teghan
Belinda’s bake sale blitz
Belinda Yates rallied the troops to donate, bake, promote and sell cakes at Bunnings for Sanfilippo. Each sale raised $2,500. She did a series for a year and made a whopping $10,000 for the Foundation. Incredibly, she did this while herself recovering from breast cancer.
“My experience with breast cancer has made me realise how precious life is. I feel grateful there is a treatment for breast cancer. There is no treatment for Sanfilippo Syndrome.”
-Belinda
Rob paddled from Homebush to Manly
Personal trainer (owner Fit State of Mind), Robert Pisto rallied troops from his boot camp to join him in a 23km Stand Up Paddle (SUP) challenge along the waterways of Sydney, and raised $12,000 for Sanfilippo.
“Persistence and a passion for helping others makes fundraising enjoyable and a real privilege. Thinking of Isla and Jude and all children with Sanfilippo helped us to reach the finishing line.”
-Robert
Milo and his mum sold Christmas Cards
Milo and his mum Virginia Mounsey designed, photographed, printed and sold Christmas cards based on his kindy class’ plasticine creations to help raise research funds for their classmate Isla Donnell who has Sanfilippo. The fundraiser raised $3,800.
“Milo understands his little friends are on borrowed time and to cure such a rare condition they need research money. He said ‘Mum, if the only thing stopping Isla and Jude getting better is money, then why can’t we just give them the money?’. Sometimes kids can see what adults can't.”
-Virginia
Ashlea hosted a dinner
Ashlea Jacobs arranged a fundraising dinner at an award-winning restaurant in Albury-Wodonga, and raised $8,000 research dollars for the Sanfilippo cause to bring hope to Jobe.
“We hosted a dinner at Miss Amelie to wrap our arms around Tenille and Tim as a community. We want to help progress research while also showing our love and support for Jobe and the Koistinen family here in Tenille’s hometown and help give her strength for the challenges ahead.”
–Ashlea
Sam turned 10!
Sam chose to raise money for his 10th birthday via a Facebook birthday fundraiser. It’s a date he shares with his cousin Isla Donnell who is battling Sanfilippo. Isla turned 10 on the same day. The FB fundraiser raised $330.
“Instead of presents, I’d like you to donate to the Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation so I can spend more birthdays with my cousin Isla”
–Sam
Ingrid sold her bridesmaid dress to Good Stuff Market
Ingrid Maack sold her bridesmaid dress to online op-shop Good Sutff Market. As a beneficiary charity, the dress was picked up by a courier, sold by a re-seller and (after costs) generated $18 for the Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation.
“The dress was gathering dust in my wardrobe and unlikely to ever be worn again. By donating it, I not only help reduce landfill and recycle fashion but I’m helping a cause and a Foundation I’m passionate about.”
-Ingrid
Toby cut off his rat’s tail!
Ten-year-old school boy Toby Greenow grew a mullet (or rat’s tail) Billy Ray Cyrus would have been proud of and then shaved if off to raise awareness and funds for Sanfilippo. He raised $1.2k
“I cut off my rat’s tail in front of the whole school for kids with Sanfilippo and made it onto the front page of my local newspaper (Manly Daily).”
–Toby
Michelle & team got muddy!
Michelle Morrice, whose son is battling Sanfilippo, assembled a team of Tough Mudders who competed in the muddy obstacle challenge in Brisbane in 2018 and raised $4,000. It was an annual event for Michelle and family, who did it 4 years in a row.
“Sanfilippo Syndrome is a fatal condition that’s slowly taking my son from me. Alec will never have the opportunity to participate in this event so I’ve called on family and friends to do it on his behalf, while raising funds to give him a better fight against the disease that has no treatment or cure.”
-Michelle
