A vibrant cloud of pink, blue, and yellow smoke erupted along Newcastle Foreshore on Sunday morning, as more than 150 people took part in the Colour for a Cause event. Participants donned their whitest t-shirts and laced up their boots to raise funds for local disability support charity Wheeling and Able.
The event was organized by disability service providers Sublime Care and Therapeutic Support. Sublime Care's head of service and quality, Cody Wagstaff, said the vision started almost a year ago, and plans are already underway for an event in 2027. The goal is to make it an annual event, supporting a different local charity each year.
The final fundraising figure is expected to be about $7000. Wheeling and Able client services manager Kym Blanch said the funds will help local kids with physical disabilities by providing them with equipment to get out and about in their community. The charity aims to fill the void left by the National Disability Insurance Scheme when families need equipment urgently.
Ms Blanch noted that children often outgrow their equipment, it breaks, or they are not currently eligible under their NDIS plan. It can take months for the NDIS to review a plan, leaving kids missing out at crucial times. The money raised will go into the bucket to help the next children who apply for assistance.
