Variety bash a swinging good time
Daniella Siraa had a treat when the Variety Mini Bash called in at Tatuanui School.
Daniella Siraa may have had a bit of a cold but a turn on a special swing made for wheelchairs was enough to get her smiling last Friday.
Six-year-old Daniella, who contracted meningitis as a baby and was left blind and unable to walk, was the recipient of a Variety children’s charity grant in 2009 when she was given a special scooter board to move around on and get some “tummy time”.
When Daniella’s mother Tina heard the Variety Mini Bash was coming to her daughter’s school with a swing designed for kids in wheelchairs, she was delighted.
“Daniella has tried the swing once before and just loved the feeling of being able to swing all on her own.”
This year, the Variety Mini Bash convoy of crazy cars and buses, along with the liberty swing, stopped in at Tatuanui School, which Daniella attends with her twin sister and two brothers.
From Scooby Doo to Buzz Lightyear and everything inbetween, the themed `Bash Teams’ were on a three day roadtrip from Mangere to Cambridge, popping into schools and community groups to hand out lollies, stickers and hats all while collecting donations along the way.
The undisputed favourite guest was Ronald McDonald and his giant McDonald’s bus.
[pullquote]Kids see us giving to kids and hopefully they go through life with the same vision.[/pullquote]
For Marty Searle, who has been volunteering aboard the big red bus for 21 years, there is still something magical about the moment when they pull in somewhere new and are met with a sea of smiling faces.
The camaraderie amongst the volunteers and chance to chat with young people and spread the message of charity is what keeps Mr Searle coming back year after year.
“Kids see us giving to kids and hopefully they go through life with the same vision,” he said.
This is the first time the children’s charity convoy has visited Tatuanui school and principal Denise Jones, decked out in a fluorescent pink wig, said the whole school was getting into the spirit.
A fundraising sausage sizzle was held at lunch-time and the finally tally of $250 was presented to Variety representatives, all contributing to helping sick, disabled and disadvantaged children around New Zealand.
