A gift for the price of a smile

1 September 2023 | Expected time to read: 3 minutes

Volunteers at a Father's day stall

This week, SCHF hosted a pop-up shop to help sick and injured kids celebrate the special father-figures in their lives. 

For school-aged kids across the country, the annual Father’s Day store is a chance to purchase a gift for that special person in their life, whether it’s their dads, mums, grandpas and uncles. But the reality is that for families with sick and injured kids in hospital, this year’s celebration will look a little different.  

That’s why this week, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation was delighted to host Father’s Day stalls across Sydney’s two paediatric hospitals and palliative care service. For just the price of a smile, hundreds of sick and injured kids were able to hand-pick out funky socks, Star War pajamas, mugs and other gifts for their loved ones.  

Volunteers and hospital patients at a Father's day stall
(Image: Families visit our Father's Day store at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick to pick out a gift).

All presents were kindly
packed in our FlatOUT Bear tote bag which featured a surprise Symbio Zoo family pass.
 

Coordinator of the stalls, Volunteer Lead, Kylie Elliott says, “This week, our Movement of Many came together and the response we received was overwhelming. In two days, we ran two stores and handed out up to 550 gift bags across 24 wards and Bear Cottage.
 
Playing a small part in their celebrations was such an honour, particularly for those who will be spending their first Father’s Day in hospital caring for their little ones.” 
Volunteers holding Flatoutbear bags

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The facilitation of the stalls located at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick and the gifts to Bear Cottage were only made possible thanks to the generosity of our unstoppable changemakers at Ward Angels. A special thank you also to our corporate volunteers at Coles who kindly gifted their time to assist on the day. 

Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation
acknowledges that while Father's Day is a special occasion for some, it can bring up tough emotions for others. This Sunday, our thoughts are with all the father-figures and dads out there including the dads who've lost children, the solo dads, those longing to be dads and those who've lost their dads.

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