By Kath Gannaway
There’s no downside to sitting down to a sumptuous roast dinner with family and friends on a cold winter’s day in July.
Make that old-school experience part of The Big Roast, raising funds for cystic fibrosis research, and the delicious pleasure is raised to a whole new level of satisfaction.
People all over Australia will be hosting a Big Roast at home and in their favourite restaurant throughout July thanks to Healesville parents Kirsty and Stephen Bowness who came up with the concept for The Big Roast as their children, Liam and Grace, have CF.
With so many engaging ways to raise money for so many deserving causes, it was down to Grace, who at four years of age referred to her disease as ‘sixty-five roasters’ to inspire the Big Roast idea.
Grace’s attempt to say cystic fibrosis raised a smile back then, and it’s continuing to raise smiles and vital research dollars.
Over the past seven years, with amazing help from their local community and family and friends, Kirsty and Stephen have raised over $80,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust.
The couple is aiming high again this year.
“Fund-raising empowers all of us as it enables us to do something towards creating a positive future for those living with this condition,” Kirsty said.
The concept is simple – invite friends over for a roast in return for a donation, and pay it in via thebigroast.com.au.
Kirsty said restaurants keen to get involved can do the same, following the lead of Rob Dolan Wines in Warrandyte who are hosting a Sunday Big Roast on 30 July, with $20 from each ticket going to the Big Roast.
For full details of how to get involved, and host a Big Roast, go to thebigroast.com.au or email Kirsty and Stephen at info@thebigroast.com.au.
