From left, Dandenong Hospital play education client Tamia Stanford with Southern Health’s head of play education Marlene Fox and Good Guys Dandenong owner Allen Garb at the company’s announcement it will raise $11,000 over the next 12 months to buy new equipment for the department.
By Shaun Inguanzo
THE Good Guys electrical and white goods store in Dandenong is living up to its namesake by making a difference to the lives of ill children at Dandenong Hospital.
Good Guys Dandenong owner Allen Garb handed over $500 to hospital operator Southern Health last Thursday as a first step towards raising a further $11,000 for the hospital’s Play Education Department.
Mr Garb said 20 cents from every transaction from 1 July this year and continuing over the next 12 months would be donated to the hospital and will be used to expand the Play Education Department’s range of stimulating toys and outdoor activities.
“A stay in hospital can be a stressful – and at times frightening – experience for young children,” Mr Garb said.
“So by improving the play education department we hope that children will feel more comfortable during their stay.”
Southern Health’s head of play education, Marlene Fox, praised Mr Garb’s generosity and said the funds were guaranteed to put smiles on children’s faces.
“We’ve drawn up a wish-list that includes items such as musical toys for toddlers to play with in bed, trikes for the children to ride, development of the outdoor playspace for children to access and venipuncture dolls, which are used to teach the children about medical procedures they may undergo,” she said.
This week Mr Garb handed over $500 to Southern Health, raised after a VIP night held at the Good Guys store for staff of Southern Health.
The hospital’s staff held a barbecue on the night, raising an extra $250.
The $500 will be used to purchase a paediatric cart which is used to store medical equipment and oxygen in the children’s ward, Ms Fox said.
The generosity shown by Good Guys Dandenong is part of the company’s nationwide campaign, National Cause, which launched in November 2006, and has already raised $40,000 for causes in each store’s local community.
The company expects it will raise more than $750,000 over the coming 12 months.
