Hopelessly devoted to movies

THE people at the Wallara disability support centre are mad about movies.
But they’ve rarely been able to enjoy their Mad About Movies session which takes place on a tiny 34cm television, complete with weak and muffled monophonic speaker.
Enter Dandenong RSL’s welfare committee, led by John Filmer, who this week donated a 68 centimetre flat-screen television, DVD player and surround sound unit to Wallara to light up the lives of the centre’s disabled adults.
Mr Filmer, chairman of the RSL’s welfare committee, said in August the RSL received a request for help from Wallara.
Wallara support worker Bec Wilkin was left speechless by the RSL’s generosity and said the larger screen and surround sound would help with the centre’s sensory learning program.
“We are over the moon,” Ms Wilkin said.
“We have previously been watching movies on a 34 centimetre television.”
The small television was unbearable for some of the centre’s clients who suffer visual impairments, she said.
Mr Filmer and Dandenong RSL president Alec Kowarzik presented the television and surround sound system to Wallara on Monday and said the clients were worthy recipients.
“Someone had to help Wallara get this equipment so their disadvantaged clients could enjoy watching movies,” Mr Kowarzik said.