Community Groups

Bankstown Caring for kids have been doing just that for The Cancer Unit at the Children's Hospital at Westmead. The Bankstown group was founded in the 1992-93 cricket season when a team of old boys, playing in the Bankstown district cricket competition and representing the Bankstown Trotting Club-under the banner of "The Trotters"-came up with the idea of raising money for children suffering from leukaemia. One of the player's sons had leukaemia and was in The Children's Hospital at Westmead at the time. The team wanted to help, and asked how.

Arthur, the boy's dad, said that there was not a television in his son's ward. As we would appreciate, those sorts of things matter to a young boy or girl who has leukaemia and will spend a lot of time in hospital. Those cricketers, their partners and children, got together and organised a double-wicket cricket competition and also raised money through concerts and auctions at the Bankstown Trotting Club, and that year raised $10,000. They supplied every ward with a television, and had a Christmas party for the children. Fourteen years on, led by Kerry Stephenson and Tom Benson they are still raising money for the cancer unit at Westmead hospital, and have raised more than $200,000.The group still provides a Christmas party every year for the whole children's cancer unit, and that includes the parents and their siblings. Over 200 attend and every child patient gets a present from 'santa'.

Over the years the Bankstown Group Caring for Kids, has also raised funds from charity night.,this year being on 26th August at Bankstown District Sports Club. The biggest thanks come from the nurses and doctors who attend the functions. They realise that the health system needs every extra dollar. When money is raised by volunteers it is even more appreciated. A dollar is a dollar, but a dollar raised by people who make private contributions in their own time is even more fantastic.