Run for their lives

NOT SPONSORED

I only run in very specific circumstances:

1) the zombie apocolypse

2) for charity (and even then I'll take the walk option if it's available)

The Sunshine Beach Run is a fabulous event, and the seventh annual run (with optional walk or shuffle for people like me!) is coming up on Sunday February 18th to raise money for Red Nose and save little lives.

SUNSHINE BEACH RUN 2017 from Sunshine Beach Run on Vimeo.
Nine children die unexpectedly every day in Australia. Red Nose (formally SIDS and Kids of the Red Nose Day campaign fame) started as a grass roots group helping bereaved parents who had lost a child and has developed in to the advocacy and research phenomenon it is today. They work tirelessly to educate on safe sleeping practices and research in to the possible causes behind sudden infant death syndrome.

Joining in and raising money will help save little lives. So far they've raised $920,000 - let's help them break the $1million mark in 2018!

The burly blokes from the West Coast Eagles will be there for a celebrity sprint, then you can run or walk your preferred distance - 1km, 3kms, or 5kms. If West Coast aren't your team, you could always try to beat the Eagles players in attendance to prove a point.

You can dedicate your run to an angel babe if you wish, and place their name on wings available on the day. Or you can just run for research and support of bereaved families, knowing how much of a difference your contribution will make.

There are prizes for the biggest fundraisers, the biggest corporate teams, school teams and family teams, plus of course the place winners.

Event registration is open now, and if you want an extra 10% off your entry fees, use the codeword GLOW at the checkout. Combine it with earlybird pricing to save more. You can register here sunshinebeachrun.com.au/register/

Eat a burger and make a difference (and I don't mean to your waistline)

This post is not sponsored, unless you count the cup of tea
and macaron I had at Ronald McDonald House

Last week I was privileged to be given a personal tour of the Perth Ronald McDonald House with the always stunning Amy Zempilas (her gorgeous Chloe was born on the same day as Bobbin) and learn about all the amazing programs they have there.

When I arrived, there were some lovely ladies wearing volunteer shirts cleaning the walls. I thought walls only got cleaned when tiny mutineers drew on them, but apparently not. Way to make me feel like a bad cleaner, Ronald. If you're in a place where the family of very sick children hang out, some with compromised immune systems, then you gotta clean EVERYTHING.

Using her ESPP (Extra Sensory Playroom Perception), Bobbin found the kids toy room in about 0.03 seconds. Stuffed toys hung from the ceiling, a giant jungle mural across the wall and a few of the awesome toys they have (the rest were getting cleaned - again, thanks, Ronald for making me feel like I don't clean enough) made her eyes light up. But she held on to the remote control from the lounge room despite all the awesomeness in front of her. Sigh.

Bobbin loooooooved this room so much!

I was more interested in the teen room which may have had something to do with the magical symbiosis of internet connection and beanbags. Funky graffiti art, big screens, and gaming consoles fill the room to keep the older kids entertained. Being the sibling of a sick kid can be so hard, so it's great that they can have access to these things and be able to hang out with other kids in the same situation.

Graffiti and bean bags FTW

We checked out the rooms, the BBQ area, the education room and the lounge/dining area with the kitchens. All awesome. But then we found out that the House turns away people every day because they are full to the brim. The closest accommodation to Princess Margaret Hospital is around $160 a night. At a time when you need your family to be together and support each other, not being able to do so because it costs so much to stay is just seems so unfair. If your child needed to stay in hospital for months could you camp out on a chair in a shared ward for all that time? What about if it was a year? Some families need to stay there that long.

Small but lovely

But a NEW House is being built next to the new hospital. HUZZAH! The funds for which were raised from the WA corporate community in just nine months! DOUBLE HUZZAH! There will be over twice as many rooms and they'll be up to three times bigger and have funky hide away beds that I neeeeeeeed to have in my own house one day (that link is a video to the manufacturer - their stuff is awesome!). Plus a full size commercial kitchen to cater for everyone with a continuation of the Make a Meal Challenge (where corporate groups come in and make dinner) and the new Lovin' From The Oven (groups bake for the weekend) programs.

It was great to hear so much that I previously had no clue about. I knew people from out of town stayed if their kids were in hospital, but that is just the smallest part.

Here's the bit you probably did know:

• Ronald McDonald House provides free accommodation to regional families of kids in hospital

And all the stuff you didn't:

• Breakfast and dinner are provided daily, plus a fridge of snacks is available (in Perth, Harvey Fresh donate all the milk and orange juice, Lawleys donate all the bread)
• For lunches, the kitchen can be used by the families (hospital cafeteria food is both disgusting and disgustingly expensive most of the time)
• There are education programs for siblings including homework clubs and help with transitioning them to the local school if needed
• There are education programs for the sick child to make sure they aren't disadvantaged by missing school - this includes speech and occupational therapy plus tutoring
• It is run thanks to volunteers and donations
• McDonald's is the largest corporate partner and takes care of all admin costs so that 100% of every donation goes directly to the Houses
• They provide free retreats to the families of children battling serious illnesses and bereaved families, giving them an opportunity to relax in a supportive environment
•  Ronald McDonald House Charities are the major private funder of Cord Blood Banks in Australia

Every year McHappy Day aims to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Now in its 24th year, you can help fund all of the amazing programs by buying a burger on Saturday, 18th of October. Or if burgers aren't your thing, you can just make a donation by purchasing a "Helping Hand" in store or giving directly through the website, remembering that every cent goes to RMHC.

I'm a (slightly silly, vlog making) Claus for a Cause

I have gone fun run crazy it would seem. Yes even I, the girl who doesn’t exercise, can be active when it’s for charity. If you've watched the video you'd already know that I'm one of the Blog Ambassadors for the Variety Santa Fun Run! If you haven't, you really should watch it now if for no other reason than to piss yourself laughing at me. It's OK, I'll wait...

The Variety Santa Fun Run is being held almost nationwide (sorry, Tassie) on Sunday 25th of November and this year I'll be dressing up (along with Map Guy and Tricky) and heading to Freo to be a Claus for a Cause. You can go here to register and receive your Santa Suit!!

If dressing up as the big guy doesn’t float your boat but you’d still like to contribute, you can sponsor me here. And really, I think I deserve to be sponsored after prancing around Perth in my suit to show you just how fashionable it is, don't you? And the dancing bit? That's at least worth a $20, surely?

Images used with permission from Variety

Last year there were 1200 West Aussie Santas that raised $40,000 for local children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs. Your dollars will do so much for the kids in your state, so here's an idea of exactly what your money can do:

♥ $75 can send a child with special needs to the annual Variety Kids Christmas Party

♥ $200 can help a child who is non-verbal to communicate with iPad assistive software

♥ $1,000 can give fun and freedom to a child living with disability with their own customised tricycle

♥ $3,500 can provide an electric bed and pressure mattress to give a child with special needs a good night’s sleep

♥ $5,000 can help a child living with physical disability with a customised standing frame

I would love it if you would join me or sponsor me today.

Will you be a Claus for a Cause? Would you wear your suit to the shops?

Moustaches: Not just for porn stars

Last night I went to the grand opening of moustache season aka the Movember Launch Party at The Ellington Jazz Club (read: dimly lit ultra funky bar with a John Butler wannabe on sax) after a ticket was thrown my way by the fabulous Lynda at Nuffnang.

In a time honoured tradition I rocked up at Georgia's house to find her waiting out the front avoiding her children. We go to these events together to avoid that I-don't-know-anyone-here-loserdom that we both exude like the smell of cheap perfume. Usually it's Map Guy dropping us off but he stayed home to feed Tricky so my Dad had the honour. It was just like being back in highschool except that back then I wasn't cool enough to be invited to any of the fancy pants parties. LOOK AT ME NOW, BITCHES! *ahem*

As if it was choreographed, the fag to my hag Kim from The Armory rocked up at the very moment we pulled in and the threesome of awesome was ready to go. We had successfully avoided all awkwardness to this point but I was soon to lose any semblance of street cred when I tried to go in only to find the front door locked... now that is in itself not a major fail until you consider that everyone on the inside could see through and watched me do it. I wasn't clever enough to realize that the entrance is around the back (not a euphemism, Shae).

During the evening I learned some very important things:

1. Money raised from Movember supports prostate cancer and depression initiatives
2. You should "respect ducks, respect your mo' and respect your fellow countrymen" (don't ask me)
3. You should leave a gate as you found it (it's a country thing, ask Map Guy)
4. Georgia really likes my hair and tells me so at inappropriate times
5. Without a sign around my neck saying Blogger I just look rude when I'm tweeting mid-speech
6. There would be swag bags with Call of Duty soldier shaped USB drives and other goodies
   
   

   

   The swag of Mo'

7. The Adonis of a waiter is named Trevor, he's from LA and has been in Australia two weeks
8. Heckling the saxophone player by shouting "You'll never be Butler!!! Surrender the fantasy!!!" is frowned upon

After speeches and a few more drinks I had a bit of a chin wag with some very interesting people *cue name-drop* including Keith Mortimer, the business and finance manager at Beyond Blue, Tim Marney, the Under Treasurer of WA and the deputy chairman of Beyond Blue, legend cricketer Dennis Lillee (who both Georgia and Kim accosted), a super cute on-again-off-again couple Tim & Emily, and a guy called Doug who wouldn't let me use his surname or company after he told me some fantastically lurid stories of having to pre-warn the girls you're going on dates with that it's Movember and you're not actually a porn star.

Kim didn't get the no porn star memo

Dodgy photo with Dennis Lillee thanks to Georgia's camera

"To MapGuy. Trae rules the world. Dennis Lillee" Best. Autograph. Ever!

Basically I spent the whole time making myself out to be way more important than I actually am, being a bit of a wanker while using phrases like "I'm here in a social media context", drinking too much and posing for photos for the Sunday Times. Brilliant night.

To participate in Movember head over to the website and check it out. Be a Mo' Bro or a Mo' Sister... I dare you.

Go the Mo'

Stick on Mo' FTW!