Saturday, August 6th was the 12th annual Wests Illawarra Bandage Bear Benefit Night. Just under $200,000 was raised on the night with celebrities including Ian Moss, Leo Sayer, Gynton Grantley, Mike Whitney and Jay Laga'aia.

Some highlights from the night:

• Mecenzi Howard (Kids Fund recipient) and her proud Mum appeared on the stage
• Dr Luciano Dalla Pozza (Westmead) appeared again, thanking the Illawarra for continued support
• West's Illawarra presenting a cheque for $50,000 to Bandage Bear
• An amazing community bought $75,000 in raffle tickets in 20 minutes
• Thomas Costello and family – a 17 year old from Bulli suffering from Cystic Fibrosis was presented with a car, on behalf of West's, K&R, KJ Fabrications, Allfab, Wollongong Cranes and Illawarra Toyota
• The announcement by Professor Don Iverson to secure a world class doctor for this region
• Ian Moss and Leo Sayer – they made us smile and great memories

Watch the Professor of Paediatrics announcement.

Watch the journey of Thomas Costello and his family.

Download the 2011 Bandage Bear program.

The 11th annual Bandage Bear Benefit Night was held on July 17, 2010 at Wests Illawarra. A staggering $320,000 was raised on the night with proceeds split between Kids Fund (managed by The Disability Trust), Southern Children's Care and Cancer Research at Westmead.

The gala night included VIP cocktails, a three-course meal, entertainment, silent auctions, live auctions, major raffle and after-party. A highlight of the night was the live auction of the "Gladiators" painting. Not only were the living legends - Arthur Summons and Norm Proven - in attendance, but an amazing $42,000 was paid by the board of Wests Illawarra.

During the night, attendees were shown the new SIM Baby that was purchased by the community to improve the level of care to infants in the Illawarra area. One of the priorities of Southern Children's Care is training, and SIM Baby addresses the problem of nursing and medical students being able to actually handle infants in a hospital setting. Without this exposure, it is difficult to develop clinical skills.

Watch the SIM Baby demonstration

A major recipient of funds raised through Bandage Bear, is Kids Fund. This fund is managed by The Disability Trust and provides aids and essential equipment to children in the Illawarra with special needs. Attendees of the 2010 Bandage Bear Benefit Night met one of the recipients of Kids Fund. Clara Bates, aged 7 from Kanahooka came on the night with her mother and demonstrated the use of her walker, purchased through Kids Fund. Her smile, strength and determination captured the hearts of all who attended the night.

Also attending the night was Dr Luciano Dalla Pozza - Paediatric Oncologist, Head Oncology Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead. He thanked the Illawarra Business Community for their continued support of this cause and how their money is being used in research, treatment and ultimately, cures for children affected by cancer.

Download the 2010 Program