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Dreadlocks help push cancer fund raiser to $16k

Congratulations to Tristan Rogers who has had his dreadlocks of seven years shaved to boost the GoFundMe campaign for teenage friend, Merrick Edleston, who is battling cancer.

Tristan’s amazing gesture has helped push the amount of funds raised to close to $16,000, to assist Merrick and his family during such a challenging period in their lives.

The cascade of dreadlocks met their demise at Branded Burgers and Bar, Seville on Sunday 28 March with the event live-streamed to sixteen-year-old Merrick who has been in hospital for treatment for his acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and was unable to attend.

Í decided to have my dreadlocks shaved because it was something I could do to help, given all that Merrick is going through, as well as his family,’ said Tristan, 21 who is coordinator of Cire’s Out of School Hours program at Badger Creek Primary School.

Branded Burgers also rallied, donating $2,600 from its takings to the campaign.

For those interested in supporting the campaign that ends on Easter Sunday, please click here to visit the GoFundMe page.

AML is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It is a group of leukaemias that develop in the myeloid cell line in the bone marrow. Myeloid cells are red blood cells, platelets and all white blood cells excluding lymphocytes.
AML is fairly rare with about 900 people diagnosed in Australia each year, accounting for 0.8% of all cancers diagnosed and at a rate of 3.7 per 100,000 of population.

Pictured: A new look Tristan with his very proud great grandmother Leila Woods from Croydon.

Community houses working together

SWEY Project – Community Houses Partnering together to provide more learning opportunities in the Yarra Valley.

The Seville Community HouseWoori Community House and the Upper Yarra Community House recently received funding from ACFE (Adult, Community and Further Education) to explore the possibility of developing a partnership. One of the aims of the group is to be able to deliver more courses to people who live up and down the Warburton Highway.

The project name, SWEY, is a play on words, coming from the individual Community House locations, Seville, Woori, Mt Evelyn and Yarra Junction, SWEY.

The UYCH Mt Evelyn campus recently held a workshop which included representatives from each of the three community houses and was facilitated by Sue Gold, who is an independent business advisor. The workshop focused on the values of the Community Houses and how they support learners within each of their communities.

There is a second workshop planned in the coming months in order to decide on the type of partnership that could work for the three Community Houses. So watch this space……

“This funding has been a fabulous opportunity, giving the community house leaders time to come together and think about possible ways that we can all help support each other and our respective communities.” – Nina Bekker, UYCH

“This project has given the three Houses the chance to come together and form the beginning of a valuable partnership which could lead to resource sharing, bringing accredited training to the Valley and hobby courses to the Yarra Junction region.” – Vicki, Seville Community House

“Woori Community House is looking forward to working together with Seville and Upper Yarra Community Houses on the SWEY project to enrich the lives of local community members.” – Sonja, Woori Community House

“The funding has helped the SWEY group with big sky thinking time, opportunities to be creative, thinking outside the box, possibilities of delivering something different, and above all keeping the focus local.” – Nina Bekker, UYCH

For more information on the Seville and Woori Community houses, visit the links below:

Seville Community House
Woori Community House