By Oliver Winn
Fashionistas will dress to impress in Wandin to raise funds for cord blood research at the Inner Wheel Club (IWC) Wandin’s Fashion Parade.
Taking place on Friday 2 May at the Wandin North Hall, the Wandin Inner Fashion Parade will run from 7pm to 10.30pm and will include supper along with great entertainment.
IWC Wandin secretary Anne Wettenhall said she hopes the event will be as well received as it has been in previous years.
“We had one all set to go in 2020 and we got shut down by Covid, so this is our first one since Covid hit.”
“Normally we would have around 200 ladies attend our shows, so we’re just hoping that it will be a success again,” Ms Wettenhall said.
The event will have a raffle with numerous prize baskets on offer, each basket having its own themed set of prizes.
The tickets are priced at $20, and it includes supper, cakes and sandwiches along with it, which Ms Wettenhall describes as a “pretty cheap night”.
A clothing store in Monbulk called Jenny’s Shoppe has sponsored the event since the fashion parade started back in 2001, contributing its own prizes to the pool.
“Our first parade was with them [Jenny’s Shoppe] and it’s gone on ever since. And they’re happy that we’re back doing it again because it gets them out into the public”
Since 2001, the IWC Wandin has raised $100,000 for cord blood research – the stem cell rich blood left over from the placenta and umbilical cord after birth – while clubs all over Australia have raised a combined $3 million towards research into cord blood
Cord blood is normally thrown away after birth, but it’s very useful in providing therapy for a variety of blood and metabolic disorders and bone marrow transplants.
“Normally the cord blood and the placenta are a waste product and they’re just thrown away, but somebody in their wisdom has come up with this idea, and so now the blood is capable of being utilised,” Ms Wettenhall said.
This year, the IWC of Wandin hopes it can raise $5000 this year for cord blood research.
“Compared to the $3 million raised across Australia, our little $5000 is a drop in the ocean, but it’s a very important drop.”
For ticket enquiries, email: iiw.au.wandin@gmail.com
