Rebecca Stevens surprised even herself with the number of coins that fitted into her little red money box.By Kath Gannaway
REBECCA Stevens of Healesville was among the first to contribute to the Healesville and Badger Creek fire brigades’ effort for Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
Two things came together a year ago to inspire the eight-year-old to “help the kids”. First, she found a perfectly excellent red plastic money box on the hard garbage, and, about the same time she watched the Good Friday Appeal on television with her grandparents, Brian and Margaret Patterson.
She decided then and there that she was going to help and on Friday she took her red money box with a year’s savings down to the fire station contributing an astounding amount of $112.95 to the brigades’ grand total of more than $16,300.
Healesville CFA region’s appeal co-ordinator Allan Bryant said Rebecca’s contribution was a fantastic effort towards the appeal that raised a record $13,862.734, indicative of the generosity of people of all ages. “We were up about $2000 on last year which was quite amazing,” he said. “Considering everything which has gone on recently, we were preparing ourselves for a lot less,” he said.
Mr Bryant said he also wanted to thank the staff of the local National Australia Bank who again this year worked alongside the CFA members sorting and weighing the money as it came into the station.
“They do a great job every year and really take a load off the task our volunteers do on the day,” he said.
Among other Yarra Valley brigades whose volunteers took to the streets and spent hours tin-rattling, counting and bagging was Hillcrest CFA who, despite collector numbers being down, collected around Woori Yallock and Launching Place to raise $1623.60.
