Local musicians raise funds for Bendigo's homeless youth
Tickets are now on sale for the Bendigo for Homeless Youth gala dinner, which will be held at the Bendigo Town Hall on Saturday 20 October 2012.On any given night in Australia, more than 44,500 people are homeless. Nearly half of these are under the age of 25. Surprisingly, there are over 700 children in Bendigo who don’t have a stable livingenvironment; they just need a home.
To combat this growing local issue, a group of Bendigo musicians have combined to form Bendigo for Homeless Youth and are using their talents to write, record and release a charity mini-album to raise $100,000 for the cause. As well as selling the mini-album, Bendigo for Homeless Youth is raising funds through a series of local ‘Unplugged for Charity’ fundraising events. Bendigo for Homeless Youth organiser, Luke Owens said funds raised would support a housing project being developed by local community housing group, Haven. “We wanted to see our fundraising efforts go towards an outcome that was part of a long-term solution,” Mr Owens said. “We were pleased to be able to meet with Haven and gain a better understanding of what can be done to address homelessness at a local level.”
Mr Owens said the group would officially launch its mini-album at the dinner on October 20, performing the charity single ‘Home’ for the first time. “In addition to the launch, the dinner will also feature a range of guest speakers, including Father Bob Maguire, a charity auction and live entertainment by Australia’s Got Talent finalists, Cameron and Taylor Henderson “Our fundraising campaign will culminate with a live performance of ‘Home’ and a cheque presentation to Haven at the Rotary Club of Bendigo Community Carols in December. “To make a lasting difference, we need the support of our community. That’s why we’re encouraging as many people and businesses as possible to buy tickets to the dinner, make a donation or purchase Bendigo for Homeless Youth merchandise.”
Organisations already contributing to the cause include Bendigo Community Telco, Bendigo Bank, Star FM Bendigo, City of Greater Bendigo, Peter Meade IT and Lead On Australia. Tickets are on sale now at $120 for individuals, $500 for a group of five and $1000 for a table of ten. A $100 early bird discount is available for those who get in quickly and purchase a table. To purchase your ticket, make a donation or buy merchandise visit www.bendigoforhomelessyouth.com.