PORT PIRIE MAKE A WISH VOLUNTEER GROUP

Mr BROCK (Frome) (15:20): Today, I would like to talk about the Port Pirie 'Make a Wish' volunteer group, which has been in existence at Port Pirie since 1996. This group of very dedicated people started out with a very small group of 14 people who wanted to assist with the granting of a wish to children with a life-threatening medical condition and to be able to enrich the human experience with hope and joy. This small group has raised in excess of $468,000 over the 16 years, averaging nearly $30,000 per year, which in anyone's view is a great achievement.

They raise their funds by holding quiz nights, an annual fun or run walk and other functions throughout the year. The age of the current volunteers ranges from 25 to 70 years of age, the oldest member being Mrs Maria Pisani, who has been with the group for many years. It is testament to this lady's dedication that she is still doing this voluntary work. There is still one current foundation member serving the organisation, and that is Tracey Sjostrom, who is the public speaker.

Another member is Rosa-Lee Pisani, who joined the organisation four months after the inception of the group. Both of these ladies are very passionate, as are the other members. However, special mention is being made of these two members because of their tremendous dedication—in the case of Rosa-Lee Pisani, to the degree that she has given up working full time and is not working at all in order to devote her full attention to this great organisation. Tracey is the public speaker for the group. She has the amazing natural gift of turning words into amazing speeches that touch the heart, inspiring and motivating people into supporting Make a Wish.

In the past 16 years, 29 children have been granted a wish. Some of the wishes granted for the locals include Kate, who wanted to meet the Crows football club players; Kieran, who wanted to have a large TV so that he could watch Sesame Street's 'Elmo'; Jacob, who wanted to go to Disneyland; Andrew, who wanted to have his own computer; and Tiarra, who wanted to pat a dolphin.

According to the volunteers, the greatest joy is seeing the child's face light up when they receive their wish, and another thing is seeing the joy both the child and the family experience from the wish being granted. It makes you realise that anything is possible. The original thought of the volunteers was that a wish presentation would be very sad, but it is the exact opposite because of the pure joy and happiness it brings the child and also the parents, something which cannot be put into words. The volunteers have said that having helped a 'wish' child receive their most cherished wish gives the volunteer a sense of pride and achievement, which you can get only if you are a volunteer.

Although the volunteers get very emotional when granting a wish, especially to a child, it is a very bittersweet experience. It is also very rewarding to know that for just a moment the child and the family can have a break from the illness and the effect it has on the whole family. In my previous role as mayor of Port Pirie, I was personally involved by holding family fun days at my residence, where nearly 500 people attended on each occasion to enjoy music, pony rides, merry-go-round rides and other activities. These people made a donation at the point of entry, and on each occasion approximately $1,500 was raised for the charity.

I would like to say on behalf of the people of Port Pirie a huge thank you to this very dedicated Port Pirie volunteer group. I would also like to thank tremendously the people of Port Pirie and the business houses that have supported the fundraising activities over the many years. This generosity exemplifies the fact that the people of Port Pirie are very supportive and very resilient.