Dance for Sick Kids, the ultimate feel-good fundraiser, returns this May, as people of all ages and abilities join the 7-day challenge to raise critical funds for families supported by Ronald McDonald Houses in Greater Western Sydney, Victoria and Tasmania. And this Thursday 18 April, Jessica Raffa from Dancing with the Stars is getting into the spirit and taking children and families staying at Victorian Ronald McDonald Houses through some pro dance moves to launch the FUNdraiser for the families. The action will be held 6-8pm, with the main dancing kicking off at 7. The popular campaign was first launched in 2020 during COVID-19, with kids, parents, and grandparents dancing from their loungerooms and driveways, raising their spirits as they raised funds to support families with seriously ill or injured children. Yellow Wiggle and multi-award-winning dancer, Tsehay Hawkins will once again lend her support to the campaign, which runs during National Families Week (May 13 – 19), along with Father/Daughter social media sensation Ben and Zara and choreographer to the stars Marko Panzic, who has supported the campaign since its inception. All funds raised will help keep families like Amarli and Remi Baker, the Monochorionic Monoamniotic twins from Tassie, who stayed in the Hobart House for 85 nights, together. This high risk pregnancy with such a rare diagnosisNadia, the twins’ Mum, had to move from her home in George Town to unfamiliar Hobart, where she had never been before.
Each morning, she faced uncertainty and fear, dreading the thought of waking up to a world with one less heartbeat. Yet in the trying time, she found comfort at RMH Hobart in the staff and volunteers, who became like the friends and family in her home away from home. Over 4,500 families are supported each year by Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Greater Western Sydney and RMHC VIC & TAS alone. Families are able to stay at RMHC Houses together, close to their child’s care, with access to daily meals, education services, counselling and holistic support. It costs the charity approximately $160 to accommodate one family per night.
