By DANIELLE GALVIN
THE Bunyip community’s spirit and resilience is just the like the old saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
On Friday night, the Strikers defeated the Cougars in their inaugural Cardinia Shield annual match, but the focus was on six-year-old Bunyip girl Izzy Adamiak, who is undergoing treatment for leukaemia.
The Bunyip and District Football Club ran a fund-raising raffle for the Adamiak family to help with Izzy’s medical expenses and more than $1000 was raised, as well as a $300 Woolworths voucher for the family.
Bunyip Strikers President, Tony Arrigo said when the community heard about the raffle, they came forward with donations to fill the raffle barrow and some very generous cash donations have also been received.
“It just reflects the generosity of the local community,” he said.
Mary Priestley won the first prize in the raffle which was a wheelbarrow full of goods, Luke Jeric won second prize and Gareth Glegg won third.
A number of businesses and community groups supported the event, including Mitre 10, the Great Australian Bakehouse and the Bunyip Op Shop, as well as the club members and local community.
In March, Bunyip Primary School hosted a ’pink day’ to support Izzy, and her family was over-whelmed by the support. But it’s not the only event to support the Adamiak family, with one planned in Pakenham at the end of the month.
Pakenham stalwart Meryl Waterhouse and Vivien Clark are hosting an afternoon tea to fund-raise for the family on Saturday 27 April from 2pm-4.30pm. Their masseuse and friend Lou is Izzy’s grandma.
“Another friend and I are hosting the afternoon tea at my home to raise as much as we can,” Ms Waterhouse said.
“We just felt we could do something – every little bit counts.”
To come along to the event and for more details, RSVP to Ms Waterhouse on 5941 1306.
For more on the Cardinia Cup clash, see Sport.
