By Casey Neill
A family fun day in Noble Park North will support sick kids this Good Friday.
Cathy Mortimer-Maher and husband Tony hope to top the $10,000 they raised for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal last year.
Staff will donate their time to run the event at Lollipops Noble Park and neighbouring Crazy Climb from 9am to 5pm on Friday 30 March.
Cash from entry, cafe sales, raffles, silent auctions and a tin rattle will all go to the appeal.
“At Crazy Climb we’ll be running climbing sessions every 30 minutes and it’s $10 for 30 minutes,” Ms Mortimer-Maher said.
“If people come in with their wallets open, we’re happy to take their money for a good cause.”
The couple has raised $45,000 over the past five years, first at Lollipops Forest Hill and then at the Noble Park play centre.
“I’ve actually been doing the phone room at the Good Friday Appeal, this will be my 23rd appeal this year,” Ms Mortimer-Maher said.
“Once we actually owned our own business we decided we wanted to do something different to carry on that tradition.”
She’s not sure what initially drew her to take part in the appeal.
“I wanted to do something to help people,” she said.
“We’ve had a lot of family, friends and customers who have obviously been touched by the hospital.
“They’re not always happy stories, but most of the time they are.
“If we can help to make the hospital better for these kids, that’s what we’re doing to do.”
The Mortimer-Mahers have “two healthy kids which we’re blessed with” and they’ll be helping out on the day.
Abbey, 13, ran the cake stall last year and Grant, 8, will lend a hand this year as well.
Lollipops Noble Park and Crazy Climb are at 6 Elonera Road, Noble Park North.
