Car 42 Bashing for Kids

VARIETY the childrens charity is well known for the valuable funds that it provides for children in need.

The NSW Bash 2016 has just been completed where pre 1976 cars with various colours, attachments and chracters travel through the New South Wales countryside spreading the hope and good will to children in need.

Six local cars entered the week long bash this year that started and finished in Newcastle.

Car 42 is owned and driven by Will and Danette Wallace of Scone who were one of 85 cars to be entered in the bash which raised a significant total of $820 000 dollars.

“The Newcastle Bash goes for a week and we travel NSW to Cassilis, through to Dubbo, Coonabrabran, Goodowindi, Casino, South Grafton,Tuncurry and then back to Newcastle, about 2600 kilometres” said Danette Wallace.

“We visit a school for breakfast and a school for lunch everyday, who provide us with breakfast and lunch and in return we provide the school with whatever the school needs” said Mrs Wallace.

The variety club provides for children and in 2014 more than $9.7 million dollars was granted through its programs.

“People from variety will ring the school and find out what the school needs, one school got $2000 dollars worth of audio equipment, another school got $6000 dollars for their special needs classroom.”Danette Wallace said.

“We gave them goal posts, ipads, books, whatever each school needs that´s what we provide, we provided about $40 000 dollars worth of things to all the schools we visited on the way.” Mrs Wallace said.

Variety is the biggest children’s charity in the world and is well established, the funds raised in this Bash are not sent away but utilized for programs in NSW.

“The Newcastle bash is in its 25^th year, and that’s just the Newcastle bash.” Danette Wallace said.

Danette and Will are relative newcomers to the event with Danette having completed two bashes and Will three.

Wills perspective on life changed when he developed prostate cancer at a very young age of 43.

“It changed Wills outlook on life, it changed everything.” said Danette Wallace.

The Bash was something that Will had been wanting to do for a while so they got a car.

The question for all the motorheads out there is why a Cortina?

“He had a mate, it was his grandmothers car that had only ever been washed in rain water, it was absolutely immaculate with hardly any kilometres on it, you should see it now. They reckon she would be thrilled to know that is has earnt nearly $20 000 in three years. It came from Coonabarabran on the bash the mother came and had photo´s with the car”. Danette Wallace said.

They have set up the vehicle with their own time, effort and money with the children being involved in the whole process.

The kids are not allowed to go on a bash until they are 18 but the Wallace children are heavily involved in the fund raising for the car so they get to go on a mini-bash in September which is a weekend event specially designed for families.

“It´s $4000 dollars to enter, we actually raised just over $9000, we got that through sponsorship. We have some really great suppliers and customers within the town, within our business and the community as well. We have done a lot of markets and fetes.” Danette Wallace said.

Car 42 has had a close association with the Scone Grammar School throughout the bash and the leadup.

“The Grammar School has been following us as well, they have been great and the kids have been great, we are going to go back in to some of the classes individually and do a bit of a question and answer with them, I love that side of it.” said Mrs Wallace.

“We go as the “Simpsons”, that is our character, we are the Simpsons car so we go as Homer and Marge” said Danette Wallace.

The first bash people embark on seems to change people and give people another perspective on life.

“He came back from the variety bash and he was a different man and it was the most humbling thing he had ever done. I went to the presentation night when it had finished and I was in tears, it was the most amazing night seeing the recipients and I thought “well that’s it, I´m going” Danette Wallace said.

Of course it would not be possible without the sponsors and the Wallace family would like to thank all of their sponsors for their dedication to Variety the childrens charity.

Scone RSL, Pays Air Service, McDonalds Scone & Muswellbrook stores, Phil & Yela Wilson, Anglo American, Baxters, No Bull Skips, Scone Grammar School, Upper Hunter Auto Electrical, Upper Hunter Auto Parts, Upper Hunter Community, W.O.L.F Ladies of Scone  (Wine on last Friday), Prosigns, Lovells Springs, Monroe Shock Absorbers, Ironman, Hi-Tec Oils.