Wests Illawarra Bandage Bear Night donates a third of the proceeds to Kids Fund – Illawarra Kids with Disabilities.

Kids Fund was co-founded in 1998 by Leigh Stewart and The Disability Trust to provide essential aids and equipment to children with disabilities in the Illawarra. Examples of items provided include: wheelchairs, ramps, orthotics, standing frames, walkers, strollers, sleeping systems, positioning systems, communicators and computer programs.

The community and corporate sponsors generate all donations for Kids Fund – there is no assistance from the government.

An inter-organisation committee meets twice annually to review and approve applications. Representatives from ADHC (Ageing, Disabilities & Home Care), Department of Health and the Disability Trust are involved.

Kids Fund is available to children living in the Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama local government areas.

Thank you to Wests Illawarra Bandage Bear Benefit Night for its continued support of Kids Fund!

Wests Illawarra Bandage Bear Night donates a third of the proceeds to Southern Children’s Care (SCC). SCC is a collaboration between the University of Wollongong – through its Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences research teams - and partners including the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Divisions of Paediatrics, the Children’s Wards in Illawarra Local Health Network, the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Divisions of General Practice, key allied health providers and the Illawarra and Shoalhaven communities.

Our vision is to create a centre of excellence for children’s health in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven - advancing the health of our children through achieving excellence in diagnosis, treatment, training and research.

Like a jigsaw, it will come together piece by piece.

It’s an ambitious goal but it can be achieved – with your help.

This community has a history of working together to achieve remarkable outcomes for good causes, so we know it can be done.

Wests Illawarra Bandage Bear Night donates a third of the proceeds to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead for Cancer Research. The Oncology (Cancer) Department at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is the largest childhood cancer department in NSW. Each year in NSW approximately 250 new children are diagnosed with cancer.

They are responsible for the care of between 120 and 150 of these new patients and their families. Since 1976 more than 3,000 children have received treatment for cancer in the department and more than 2,200 of these patients are long-term survivors. Back in 1976 when the unit opened its doors, most children with cancer died.

Now, because of intense and focused research, there have been vast improvements in treatment and supportive care and, four out of five children survive cancer permanently. Over the past 30 years more than 3,000 children and young people have been treated for leukaemia or cancer at the Oncology Department with more than 2,200 survivors.

Current treatment will permanently cure 80 per cent of today’s young patients with cancer. About 250 outpatient visits per week are made to the department’s outpatient treatment centre, making it one of the busiest sections in the Hospital outside of the Emergency Room. The Oncology Department is a member of the US-based clinical trials group, Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and enrols significant numbers of its patients in COG studies.

The Children’s Cancer Research Unit was established in 1997 as the laboratory research division of the Oncology Department. The Children’s Cancer Research Unit is working collaboratively in Australia and internationally to diagnose cancer earlier; develop more effective therapies and to improve the cure rate in all children with cancer.

Please note: The Bandage Bear Benefit Night fundraises for the Children's Hospital at Westmead, but is not related to or affiliated with The Children's Hospital Westmead.