Remote children benefit at lunch

Prominent Broome business owners gathered for a glitzy fundraising event on July 7, and raised $25,000 to support children in remote Kimberley communities.

About 200 businessmen and women attended the inaugural Save the Children Australia Long Table Lunch, held at Broome Civic Centre, to raise funds for the Bardi Jawi Family and Learning Centre at Djarindjin, 170km north of Broome.

The new facility will incorporate the community’s existing Djarindjin Early Learning Centre, which has been operating since 1992.

Since 2010, Save the Children has been in partnership with Djarindjin Community to manage the centre.

Last year, the Australian Army started working on the building as part of the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program in the Kimberley, as a joint initiative with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

The facility will support families and children in the Dampier Peninsula communities of Djarindjin, Lombadina, Ardyaloon and Beagle Bay and is expected to open later this year.

Throughout the afternoon, guests enjoyed a sumptuous fourcourse lunch including prawn and oyster platters, and roast Yeeda beef with salsa verde, and delectable desserts, while participating in the grand and silent auctions.

Former Broome magistrate Antoine Bloemen snapped up an original artwork for some $6000, by celebrated Australian artist Di Taylor who painted the piece during the lunch.

Mr Bloemen also purchased a signed and framed Fremantle Dockers AFL guernsey which he generously donated to Aboriginal elder Francis Djiagween, an avid Dockers fan.

Other major giveaways included two nights’ accommodation at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm with a safari cruise, a Willie Creek pearl pendant, a weekend package at Cable Beach Club and a couple’s retreat at Broome Town B&B.

Guests were entertained by performances from Cable Beach Primary School students and members of Broome Girls Academy who took part in a fashion parade.

Live entertainment was provided by David Pigram and didgeridoo player Robert Dann

Save the Children State event, fundraising and partnerships manager Anne-Marie Denney said the organisation was thrilled with the amount of funds raised and confirmed proceeds would go towards the new centre.

“It’s going to allow us to open the centre and contribute to the operational running costs,” she said.

Ms Denney said the centre was expected to boost school attendance for young children and support families as a centralbased facility.

Save the Children Australia State manager Glyn Davies said the long-table lunch had been a fine success thanks to the support of the Broome community, and the charity hoped to make the event a prominent event on the town’s social calendar.

“The number of people who supported us from local businesses and from the local community was just fantastic,” he said.

“Funds raised will assist Save The Children to continue to develop essential programs in the Dampier Peninsula and work together with communities to enhance early learning.”