Nearly 200 local women enjoyed an afternoon of amazing food and entertainment while raising more than $53,000 at the second annual BLOOMED for Bloomhill Mother’s Day fundraising lunch at Palm Creek Estate in Yandina last Friday.
The event is undertaken by sisters-in-law Melanie and Maritza Barone who set a goal of raising enough funds to increase nursing staff at Bloomhill Cancer Care.
“Last year’s event raised $30,000 and we felt we could do even better this year by securing a larger venue to hold more guests as well as attracting seventeen generous sponsors who helped to offset some of the event costs,” Maritza said.
“The end result was nothing short of amazing. Best of all, everyone had a fantastic time while supporting the great work which Bloomhill undertakes in our community.”
The event is inspired by Melanie’s mother, Maria, who passed away from cancer in 2023.
“I think mum would be super proud of what we have achieved with this event. It’s a great day and we’ve worked hard to ensure our guests want to come back each year because it’s a lot of fun and we all get to support a super important charity like Bloomhill,” Melanie said.
“Mum found great comfort in the complementary therapies similar to those that Bloomhill offers so this event is our way of honouring her memory while helping ensure other local families receive that same level of comfort and support.
Bloomhill general manager Mervat Quirke said she was thrilled with the ongoing support from this event.
“Once again Maritza and Melanie have pulled off a fantastic event which reflects everything which is great about Bloomhill. Guests had a great time, the venue was spectacular and the food was second to none. We receive no ongoing Government funding so events like BLOOMED for Bloomhill are vital to help continue our work. This event has helped to secure funding to increase our nursing staff which will be a vital asset for the local community and reduce wait times for patients coming to see us,” Mervat said.
The BLOOMED fundraising pledge page is still running and is available for anyone wanting to contribute to the cause fundraising.bloomhill.com.au/bloomed
