Family and parent activities - Very Special Kids

RECENT ACTIVITIES! Ulysses Day The Melbourne Branch of the Ulysses Motorcycle Club once again hosted a fabulous fun-filled day for Very Special Kids families on Sunday 15 November at the Cardinia Reservoir. 158 people (31 families) participated. Parents and children were treated to motorbike rides that included side cars and trikes. There was also face painting, Cupcake the Clown thrilled with balloon making and a magic show and Santa arrived in his special wagon with lolly bags for every child. Thanks again to the wonderful people at Ulysses for a great day! Richmond Football Club Family Footy Day Punt Road Oval, the home of the Richmond Football Club, came alive with the 2009 Family Footy Day. Forty-Nine families enjoyed a day filled with face painting, animals (stuffed ad real), footy and fun. Families came from far and wide to take part in the day, some even travelling from Ballarat and Traralgon. Four Richmond footy players took time out to sign autographs, pose for pictures and play a game of footy with a large group of very excited kids. A great day was had by all and a big thank you to the Richmond Football Club-Tigers in the Community for hosting the event. Ballarat Wildlife Day The Wildlife Day was a great chance to get all the kids, brothers, sisters and parents together to have a fun day out and to meet each other. The families all shared a picnic lunch and the kids got to feed kangaroos, stroke snakes and koalas. They also saw crocodiles being fed and cuddled wombats. It was a great day with the Commonwealth Bank funding half the admission fee. Muscular Dystrophy Weekends In March a fun weekend was held for a group of our boys with Muscular Dystrophy and similar conditions. The theme was “Food, Glorious, Food!” and the highlight for the boys was going to the Connex Sizzle at Federation Square. A big thank you to Connex and Silver Top Taxis for their donation of tickets and transport to the event. In May a group of teenage boys with Muscular Dystrophy enjoyed ‘Game On’ - a celebration of all sorts of games including electronic, board games, trivia, brain games and sports. The highlights included a trip to Spin Bowling in Melbourne Central with dinner at McDonalds. North Western Family Day On Saturday May 9 families from the North and Western Metropolitan region braved the cold for a fabulous day at Bundoora Park Animal Farm. There were so many things to do and see! Juanita, the piglet needed to be bottle fed, one of the cows needed milking, guinea pigs and rabbits needed cuddling. Pony rides also proved very popular. Many thanks to the team of wonderful volunteers who made this day possible and also to the staff at Bundoora Park who went out of their way to create a special day for us all. Mum’s Pamper Day in Wangaratta The aim of the day is to provide a forum where mums can come together, be pampered, network and experience new therapeutic options for themselves. All seven mums, who travelled from all over the Hume Region to attend the day, reported a real need to unwind and be pampered and the opportunity to network and share their stories with each other and that’s exactly what happened. ACTIVITIES HELD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR! Coffee Mornings Coffee Mornings is a new initiative that began in February 2009 and is replacing the Mothers Group. Coffee Mornings are a great opportunity for all parents (mums and dads) to meet in an informal way over a cup of coffee. Volunteers are available to assist with child care at the venue and the first coffee is on us! Different locations have been selected in various parts of Melbourne and parents are welcome to attend as many Coffee Mornings as they like. The most popular venues so far have included The Boathouse at Moonee Ponds and Madeleine’s at Jells Park in Wheelers Hill. Fathers’ Activity Days Introduced in 2002, these are days when dads can get together and take part in a recreational activity. Very Special Kids’ Dads’ Day is open to all fathers registered with Very Special Kids. The Fathers’ Activity Days aim to provide fathers with a friendly, enjoyable and relaxing day away from routine pressures and create an environment in which they can share experiences of having a child who is seriously ill or who has died. Family Weekend Camps Very Special Kids offers two camps each year, which are organised and hosted by Lord Somers Powerhouse at their Somers facilities on Western Port Bay, usually on the third weekend in February and the first weekend in October. The camps are an opportunity for parents and children to be together in a relaxing atmosphere and enjoy the numerous activities prepared by Lord Somers Powerhouse’ volunteers. These weekends are full of fun with surprise visitors, motor bike rides and plenty of games. Massages and opportunities for some ‘time out’ are also offered to parents whilst volunteers keep their children entertained. All meals are provided and there is bunk-style accommodation in individual family rooms at no cost for families. Somers on Western Port Bay has a safe beach only a few minutes stroll from camp. Family Fun Days Family activity days are held throughout the year. Families are notified in advance by mail or in the regular newsletter. Networking Very Special Kids has implemented a networking service that allows parents to meet or talk with other parents who have a child with the same or similar illness. Interested families can request this service from a member of the Family Support Team.