Charity overflows

By Danny Buttler
FUNDRAISING for a good cause always has its challenges, but rarely do they include what to do with surplus money.
But that’s exactly the dilemma faced by Tracey Lousada and Simone Walker who exceeded their cash target when soliciting funds for the Windermere Adventure Challenge to Cambodia.
The “problem” was soon solved, however, with the extra $1000 being given to NF Australia and the Children’s Tumour Foundation of Australia.
It wasn’t a hard decision for the ladies to make.
Tracey works at the Cranbourne Harness Racing Club, where she heard the news that local harness racing identity Chris Alford’s little daughter Katie had been diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis(NF1).
NF1 causes tumours to grow along the nerves, possibly leading to deafness, blindness, bone deformaties, brain and spine tumours, disfigurement and learning difficulties.
The Alford family is raising money for and awareness about NF1 during the month of May, with Chris sporting special orange and black racing silks that are putting the condition right in the public eye.
Tracey and Simone have been fundraising all year after deciding to join Windermere’s charity bike ride.
With the help of the major sponsor Michael Taranto from Seelite Windows and Doors they overshot their fundraising target by $1000 – a nice problem to have.
Tracey said she was blown away by the response from sponsors, family and friends.
“Yes, we were very surprised,” she said.
“It was hard work, but we were rapt that we could do something like that.
“Everyone has been absolutely fantastic, all our sponsors came on board, some without even being asked, so it’s been great.”
The Windermere Challenge will see 20 riders tackling a five-day route from the ancient temples of Angkor Wat near Siem Reap to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
The following two days will be spent helping HIV infected children at a rural orphanage.