By Stephen Linnell
FOR Werribee resident Sher Stowe-Winder, it’s all about the kids.
Ms Stowe-Winder, together with friends Julie Arnott and mother-daughter team Cherry and Emily Ridout, will next month take part in the Variety Club’s annual bash.
This year, more than 94 cars and 350 people will take part in the bash, designed to raise money for underprivileged children.
It starts on 14 August with the vehicles taking 10 days to travel from Moonee Valley racecourse to Yeppoon, near Rockhampton in Queensland.
It will be Ms Stowe-Winder’s sixth bash and she has also participated in two overseas.
Last week, she and her crew took the vehicle in which they will be making the journey – an EH Holden station wagon – to Galvin Park Secondary College.
Students were given an opportunity to paint the car.
Last year, Ms Stowe-Winder developed a student leadership program designed to get students more involved in community projects and create a sense of worth.
“They are very valuable members of our community and it’s important that they know that as well,” she said.
“They need to understand they can be of value outside of school and in the community. Spraying the car can be a good thing for them and is productive, rather than getting involved in negative things and crime.
“If they channel it in the right areas it can be really positive. I’m trying to instill in the kids a sense of pride in what they can do.”
By last week, the group had raised more than $9000, but Ms Stowe-Winder said this year’s bash would be more expensive due to the soaring price of fuel.
Last year, the Victorian Variety Club raised more than $1.4 million from the bash.
The money is donated to children and families in Victoria and throughout Australia.
