CCC HOPE4Kids

CCC HOPE4Kids – Welcome to the 2023 Campaign … Here’s what we know so far

2023 marks the EIGHTH (8th) year of this awareness and fund raising campaign, and the final chapter in its current ‘community fundraiser’ format. It has become apparent to the team that we need to broaden the parameters and support opportunities for the new season to come, with a whole lot more passionate people involved and working together to make a difference in children’s and their families’ lives. We won’t back away from the personal and relational approach (as much as that is possible), but we do need to explore beyond what’s possible through a few people and essentially one church family. THAT ALL BEING SAID, WE ARE HOPING THAT THE QUIRKY NATURE OF THIS YEAR’S EVENT WILL HELP US RAISE IN EXCESS OF $10K. Stay tuned for the development of HOPE4Kids Ministries over the next little while.

Meanwhile …… (if you’d like to read about this year’s plan, scroll down to ‘THIS YEAR’S PLAN’ but we recommend you read the context provided to help you get a fuller picture of what this is all about)

WHAT DOES THE 2023 CAMPAIGN LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WILL BE ITS FOCUS

In 2016, Graeme enlisted the help of his young offsider Josh Rowles (Mick and Heather’s eldest), to initiate a platform for community service, which consistently, holistically and visibly made us look beyond our own circumstances as a church, and give ourselves away for the sake of others in a tangible and impactful way. It was important to us to support meaningful ‘needs’, and to establish or develop existing relationships with those we sought to help.

In terms of resources and infrastructure, what we pursued, could only be a community level fundraising effort and so we decided to do annual events that could / would draw as much interest as was possible within the obvious constraints. If the initial season was going to establish something that had a sustainable and reproducible future, the events had to be things that Graeme could easily anchor whilst building an ever stronger team around the ideas. In 2016 it was a 24 Hour Table Tennis Marathon with Josh. In 2017 – a 6 hour backwards walk with a small team of walk spotters and supporters. In 2018 – a 24 hour drum-a-thon with a bunch of musical friends and partners and so on. As we worked the process out, we ended up basically doing one novelty event on one year and an event that was easy to develop out of Graeme’s music ministry the alternate year.

The relationships of help that we built were nothing short of inspiring. Through a church family, we had a close connection with our little mate Chloe Saxby who emerged as our primary muse. Chloe and her family became (and are still) iconic in our region. She battled with an extremely rare child hood condition known as ‘Vanishing White Matter’ disease. With no known cure we were devastated when she passed away in 2020 at just 12 years of age. Her legacy is a dedicated research facility in partnership with Wollongong Hospital and University. Incredible when you understand that prior to this there were essentially only TWO (2) specialist doctors in the world that had any real knowledge of the disease. With the permission of Chloe’s wonderful Mum Nyree, Dad Grant and Sister Mads, we continue to support the @savingchloesaxby. foundation.

Next came Beau McClinton. Graeme was asked to dedicate Beau when he was just one. His family had a close relationship with Graeme who had performed at least EIGHT (8) life celebrations (marriages and child naming/dedications) for the family over about 6 or 7 years. Beau was special and suffers from Ohtahara Syndrome. This is a form of epilepsy causing extreme numbers of full body tremors and fits DAILY with no known cure and an uncertain future. Beau has miraculously just turned SIX (6) and we have been honoured and privileged to help him and his family achieve a number of small but significant milestones since 2018.

Michael Bereznai is now 10 years old and is a brave survivor of Neuroendocrine Hyperplasia of Infancy (NEHI) which affects the lungs and breathing capacity of its victims, and with that comes obvious challenges. It is a rare condition only recognized in 2005. We have helped Michael get passed what seemed to be impassable obstacles and we’ve helped establish his independence. Michael is the youngest child of Alex and Zoltan Bereznai. Graeme’s wife Karen was Alex’s and her sibling’s nanny in their early years in QLD. We are still in close relationship with Michael’s immediate and extended family

Airlee Podmore is one amazing human being. Little in stature but huge in heart and determination. Airlee is only 11 years old and a few years ago started losing her hair through a condition known as ‘Alopecia Areata’. There is no known cure for this auto-immune disease that causes hair loss to varying degrees, and which leaves these children particularly vulnerable to all sorts of challenges. According to experts, Airlee has a challenging stream of AA. We have a long term and close relationship with her immediate and extended family, and have played a small part in helping make life for Airlee relatively normal in the midst of huge challenges since 2020.

So … in summary, we raise a little money for their families to deal with medication and some specialist requirements BUT most of the monies raised go towards helping find answers for what are essentially, childhood diseases without a known physical cure.

THE 2023 DEVELOPMENT

Over the years, HOPE4Kids has addressed the assorted needs in children in various ways. The initiative has supported ‘The Couch Project’, raising awareness about the most usual conduit to youth homelessness in Australia – Couch Surfing. We have also helped provide for scripture teachers and chaplains in local High Schools and a bunch of other incidental needs that are focused on making a difference for children and young people.

THIS YEAR alongside our FOUR (4) beautiful mates, we would like to support the ‘Southern Cross Kids Camping’ effort, particularly focusing on the Illawarra Camp which was the first camp established in NSW under the facilitating efforts of our mate Tammy Preston. The annual camp is designed to interrupt the cycle of abuse and neglect in primary aged children by providing an outstanding five day adventure camping program. Many of the kids who attend camp are in the foster care system and have been subjected to various forms of significant trauma and abuse.

The Illawarra Camp which happens each year in September, was in danger of not going ahead this year and perhaps being lost to the landscape. So … we are working with Tammy this year to ensure the camp goes ahead, and we’d like to raise funds to ensure kids can afford to go and the program has enough resources to be amazing and life changing. We will hear more from Tammy and her sidekick Emily (a camp kid who is now the Illawarra Camp’s spokesperson and it’s co-leader) soon, and Kaz, Graeme and our mate Gordon, along with Tammy and Emily, form the executive for the 2023 Camp at the ‘Waterslea’ camp site which Kaz organized through her work association with Youthworks.

THIS YEAR’S PLAN

Graeme will wrap up the current format for the fundraiser (see introduction above) on August 13th this year. Completing the ‘City2Surf’ classic fun run/walk from Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach has long been a ‘bucket list’ adventure for Graeme and so he has registered the ‘HOPE4Kids’ Team for this year’s event and GRAEME will walk the 14km course BACKWARDS with some help.

He will need a team of ‘spotters’, who’s function is to walk with Graeme spotting obstacles so he doesn’t have to walk blindly or continually look over his shoulder which would be challenging to say the least. If we could get 5 or 6 people to spot for Graeme ON THE WALK, that would be ideal. Due to the closed nature of the event, the team will likely have to do the whole 14kms but the concentration and focus of spotting for Graeme should be only short segments with team members relieving each other as the walk unfolds. If the team is doing a relaxing walk together, they could relieve each other often to keep fresh. OF COURSE, THE TEAM COULD PROMOTE THEMSELVES IN THE WALK TO ADD TO THE FUND RAISING OPPORTUNITIES.

There is a cost involved with registering for the event and Graeme will cover that if anyone who would like to be on the team needs the financial assistance. Registration is currently about $90 give or take.

This is a very promotable initiative and just by mentioning the idea to a few people has already yielded over $2000 in fundraising. As such, we will do media releases, we’ll cross live to Graeme and the Team during the event, and we’ll produce minimal merchandise (all designed to raise funds), to build momentum towards August as Graeme and maybe even the team trains in preparation.

FINAL NOTE FOR NOW

The fund raising will happen from now until just after the event in August and the HOPE4Kids Annual Fundraiser Facebook GROUP page will be live from next week. So, check in and join the group if you haven’t yet. If you’ve joined it over the past few years, you will still be joined.

With regard to fund raising to send children to the September SCKC Camp, at intervals of time between now and August, we will deposit one fifth of the progressive funds being raised, into the SCKC Camp fund because the funds needed to pay for Kids and the Event are needed WELL BEFORE THE CAMP.

OK, MORE SOON …… in the meantime talk with Graeme or Heather about what could be possible

CCC HOPE4Kids – What’s Happened So Far in the 2022 Awareness and Fundraiser

WE HAD OUR FIRST OF TWO OFFICIAL FUNDRAISING CONCERT EVENTS IN AUGUST, AND THE SECOND IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 15, 7PM @ CROWS NEST UNITING CHURCH CENTRE, CORNER SHIRLEY ROAD AND NICHOLSON STREET WOLLSTONECRAFT (ONE BLOCK WEST OF THE PACIFIC HWY / FALCON ST INTERSECTION CROWS NEST)

Each year the HOPE4Kids team decides with Graeme, what the focus event for awareness and fundraising will be. We usually go with something goofy that will engage community interest every couple of years (e.g. previously 24 Hour Marathon Drumming and Table Tennis events, a 6-Hour Backwards Walk and last year a multi-colouring of Graeme’s hair, culminating with a complete shave). On the alternate year we tend to do something entertaining that utilizes Graeme’s music and performance experience, which a couple of years ago was the pre-launch of his latest album ‘Better Now’.

This year 2022 coincides with the 40th Anniversary of Keith Green’s death in 1982. – Keith was a child prodigy signed by Decca Records, and a multi-award winning gospel music artist and prophetic teacher who was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Keith was just shy of his 29th birthday when he and two of his children died along with 9 others in a light plane crash.

In light of all of this, we decided to present TWO ‘Keith Green 40th Anniversary Tribute Concerts’ as this year’s HOPE4Kids Fundraisers.

The Wollongong Concert was held @ City Diggers on the 27th August and a good sized audience responded with enthusiasm to the presentation. Based on the feedback received thus far, the evidence reflects significant ministry received and a terrific fund raising response.

THERE’S STILL TIME TO JOIN US IN SYDNEY ON OCTOBER 15TH – Graeme and Gordon are looking forward to going around a second time at Crows Nest Uniting Church and are hoping that people will just TURN UP and enjoy the night. There’s been a couple of issues in preparation for Sydney and so the revised plan is – PLEASE JUST COME TO THE DOOR AND BRING A DONATION FOR THE FUND RAISING EFFORT. ‘We believe that the Wollongong show proved that this deserves an audience, and we don’t want the challenges with online ticket purchasing and the change of venue to stop people from just sharing with us as we personally testify to the impact of Keith Green’s music and teaching ministry on our lives and indeed the lives of so many others. We’ll sing a bunch of favourites and share a story or two with anyone who might be inclined to join us for such an event’, Graeme said. ‘In terms of the fundraising, just a few more donations would lift us closer towards our annual target, so thanks in advance to all those who might help us with that’ he added.

So, Crows Nest Uniting Church is just 650 metres south east of the previously advertised venue, and you’ll find it one block west of the Pacific Hwy junction with Falcon Street (on the west side, Falcon St becomes Shirley Road, Wollstonecraft.)

Looking forward to seeing you ……

THE BACK STORY

Graeme discovered Keith Green when his friend Mark Matthews gave him the 1977 ‘For Him Who Has Ears to Hear’ album on vinyl. With Mark and mates Rob Sackett and Peter Sharp, ‘Cornerstone’ became known as a Keith Green ensemble. After the conclusion of the ‘Cornerstone’ season, Mark and Graeme did a few more functions, using Keith’s music which at the time had wide commercial appeal. With Todd Fishkind and Randy Stonehill, Keith had penned the song that Marcia Hines made a number one hit in Australia in the mid-seventies ‘Until Your Love Broke Through’.

Having spent a painstaking December 1977 night learning to play and perform a lesser known but complex Keith Green song, recorded by Matthew Ward (2nd Chapter of Acts) called ‘Summer Snow’, Gordon and Graeme decided to team up as a Christian music and youth event promotional duo (eventually known as ‘Waves Ministries’) and after leaving school, they started performing in schools, shopping malls and public performance venues all over Australia and eventually overseas, mostly using Keith Green’s music alongside a growing catalogue of originals. They would both say that they were discipled and taught how to minister the gospel by watching and learning from Keith and his contemporaries including Keith’s wife Melody, Winkie Pratney, Dean Sherman, Buck and Annie Herring and more.

In 1990, God granted Gordon and Graeme a life-long dream to spend time with Melody Green @ Last Days Ministries in Lindale, Texas and be invited by Melody to sing Keith’s ‘O Lord You’re Beautiful’ to and with her.

Work and ministry opportunities over the years meant that other than the blessing of being able to perform together every now and then, all the while continuing to use Keith’s music for ministry, Graeme took the opportunity at various times over those years, to work with a variety of other musicians to perform occasional FULL Keith Green Tribute Shows. Including the three he has done with Gordon, 2 in Sydney for the 20th anniversary and 1 in Wollongong last month, Graeme has performed 15 such shows since 1986. The bonus in recent years is that Graeme has returned to Wollongong and has performed Keith’s music regularly in his church ministry, two or three complete Keith Music and Ministry church services with his old ‘Cornerstone’ buddies and a plethora of smaller ministry gigs with Gordon.

So, it is based upon that history, and the agreement between Graeme, Gordon, Peter Sharp, Rob Sackett, Gordon’s son and Graeme’s God-son Kyle Barr and Graeme’s wife Karen, that the decision to use the 40th Anniversary Tribute Concerts to fund raise for our beautiful kids with life challenging afflictions was made.

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is a partnership event for Gordon and Graeme, we will be sharing the funds raised, with ‘Hope and Future Project’ which supports 28 orphan children through a Boarding School in Uganda.

You can find out more history and context by reading further down this page, AND we will soon be updating and re-opening our HOPE4Kids Facebook Group Page with developments as they emerge, but for now here’s a quick summary.

OUR KIDS – We have developed relationships over the past few years with children who had / have uncertain futures. We raise a little money for their families to deal with medication and some specialist requirements BUT most of the monies raised goes towards helping find a cure for what are essentially, childhood diseases without a known physical cure.

Beau McClinton, our 5 year old superhero from Canberra suffers from Ohtahara Syndrome. This is a form of epilepsy causing extreme numbers of full body tremors and fits DAILY.

Michael Bereznai is a brave survivor of Neuroendocrine Hyperplasia of Infancy (NEHI) which affects the lungs and breathing capacity of its victims, and with that comes obvious challenges. It is a rare condition only recognized in 2005.

Airlee Podmore is a very special little person and it would take too many paragraphs to share the story after story of her bravery and belief. Airlee is only 10 years old and a couple of years ago started losing her hair through a condition known as ‘Alopecia Areata’. There is no known cure for this auto-immune disease that causes hair loss to varying degrees, and which leaves these children particularly vulnerable to all sorts of challenges. According to experts, Airlee has a challenging stream of AA.

And last but never least, we continue to support the foundation set up to find a cure for our little mate and first ‘HOPE4Kids’ icon, Chloe Saxby. Gone from this world in November 2020, way too early (like Keith), BUT still fully in our hearts, we continue to honour Chloe and her family by raising awareness and funds to find a cure for ‘Vanishing White Matter Disease’. You can find out more about this @savingchloesaxby.

Graeme’s Music is also a Contributor – 100% of album sales is dedicated to the HOPE4Kids Project during Corrimal Community Church’s annual fundraiser each year. Graeme’s first anthology of songs from 1982-2007 is also available for digital download and 100% of all sales is dedicated to the HOPE4Kids Project during fund raising event seasons. BOTH releases as described provide 50% of all sales to HOPE4Kids at ALL other times.

Corrimal Community Church NSW, Heartland Ministries Incorporated (registered Charity covering body) and the Better Now Album, are proud ongoing sponsors of the HOPE4Kids project. If you, too, would like to support our kids and their families you can do one or more of the following;

• Book a ticket to join us at our August 27th Keith Green Tribute Wollongong Concert,
• purchase a Better Now album or
• Donate ANYTIME by clicking on the BUTTON below. DON’T FORGET to identify your deposit as ‘H4K’ or ‘HOPE4Kids’ if it fits the description of your donation, because outside of the annual season for the fund raiser, the link is for gift deposits to Heartland Ministries who provides the financial infrastructure for HOPE4Kids.

We hope you can join us on our HOPE4Kids journey this year!

CCC HOPE4Kids – here’s what happened in 2021?

Before you read a little context about the history of the CCC HOPE4Kids project in the FAQ’s that follow, in the most recent annual fund raiser, (November 2021), Graeme had his hair coloured between Sunday 14th November and Sunday 28th November. On the first two weeks, we posted online, the 3 favourite colours of Beau (14th) and Michael (21st). Using our HOPE4Kids Facebook Group page, we bid by donating to reach a pre-determined fund raising target for each colour, each week, and whatever target we reached, that was the colour of Graeme’s hair for the week. On Beau week we reached the fund raising target of $850 just after we started colouring G’s hair. On Michael week, we reached the fund raising target of $2200 just after midday.

On the final Sunday (28th Nov) firstly, we honoured our mate Chloe on the anniversary of her passing by making Graeme’s “mop” of hair the colours of the rainbow. We still had fund raising targets for some of the colours, and every time someone added $50, they were allowed to colour his hair that colour or via phone or FB nominate someone to do that LIVE! Then, in that festival atmosphere about midday, our final superhero Airlee Podmore, cut the first strands of hair on Graeme’s head prior to the COMPLETE SHAVE, when we successfully passed the $3K funds raised target.

We added Airlee to our fund raising efforts this year for all the same reasons we support the other three. They all have currently incurable afflictions that are accompanied by an uncertain future. Airlee is only 10 years old and a couple of years ago started losing her hair through a condition known as ‘Alopecia Areata’. There is no known cure for this autoimmune disease that causes hair loss to varying degrees, and which leaves these children vulnerable to all sorts of challenges. According to experts, Airlee has a challenging stream of AA. You can learn more HERE

We made a decision based upon the genuine interest generated by this fund raiser, to leave it open until our big annual Carols in the Street festival on the 12th December and Graeme made a promise to shave his beard off also, if we passed the $4K mark. We ended up raising $4076 and G’s beard came off at midday on the 12th and the final announcement made and thanks given in a public announcement at the evening festival.

Thanks beyond words to all who helped us achieve this miraculous total and for engaging the fun designed to support 4 precious children and their amazing families. We will leave the DONATE button here BUT if you want us to know what you have donated towards, please identify your deposit with ‘H4K’ or ‘HOPE4Kids’ if you can fit it in your description, and we will make sure your generosity is noted and added to 2022 fund raising efforts.

Here then is the DONATE button. Thank you!

Frequently Asked Questions about HOPE4Kids – it’s history and how it works

We get asked random questions about HOPE 4 Kids from time to time. We’d like you to be well informed about our annual effort so that you can be confident about your own support of our project AND you can help others become connected simply because you can answer their important questions. Here then are some FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s) and answers.

What happens to my donation after I make it?

At the end of each fund raiser, the total monies raised are divided up equally between the number of Kids we are supporting in any given annual fundraiser. In 2021, we supported FOUR (4) children. There is no administration cost and any transaction fees are covered by us so that ALL MONIES RAISED are used for the project.

As previously mentioned, we choose these kids because we have some level of relationship with them and their families. As such, we work out with the families themselves what THEY would like to do with the raised funds. In EVERY case the families want the money to go directly to research towards a cure for the particular rare childhood disease that their child has. There are rare occasions when one family or another has extraordinary costs related to unique medications or experimental procedures. In these cases we are happy for the families to apportion some of the funds to cover these things and when this happens, we ask for the exact specs so we can inform our donors what these medications and associated costs are.

What is Heartland Ministries Inc and Why does that name appear on the digital donations platform occasionally?

Heartland Ministries Incorporated is an Australian Government Registered Religious Charity which our Senior Minister and fund raising – a – thon protagonist, Graeme Hush, has been the Managing Director of, since he founded it in 2001. Heartland Ministries is an affiliate of the Crosslink Christian Network International, who endorses Heartland’s TWO ministers, Graeme and Gordon Barr so they can receive ‘minister of religion’ credentials in accord with Australian Law from the Attorney General. As such, Heartland Ministries Inc. is the primary partner of Corrimal Community Church and there is a Memorandum of Understanding between the two entities that has enabled ‘Heartland’ to provide Graeme to serve CCC as its minister/mission strategy consultant since 2014.

Because Corrimal Community Church is an unincorporated association, it hasn’t achieved religious charity status, which enables it to provide fund raising services and logistics. Heartland Ministries is a registered Charity and so it partners with Corrimal Community Church to provide this, along with many other services that support its mission work. The Square POS account that the donate link is connected to, is a Heartland Projects account specifically set up to account for all fund raising donations. The financial managers of both entities ensure the monies are fully accounted for and forwarded as per the previous question and answer. Heartland Ministries is also the manager for all of Graeme’s music albums and he has asked that 50% of all sales during the fund raisers, and 20% of all sales at ALL other times, ALSO goes towards the total monies raised.

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How did the CCC HOPE4Kids Project start?

What is the HOPE4Kids project and how did it all start? Why are we fundraising to ‘help find a cure’ research for kids with rare childhood diseases? It was mid 2016. My wife, Karen and I were heading towards the half way point in a partnership we had believed God wanted us to be involved with: the re-planting of a church, in a close neighbourhood setting near Wollongong NSW, which was first established the best part 7 decades ago.

Graeme Hush

Corrimal Community Church had been trying to be a consistent and good neighbour. However, this street had varied and historical views about this church which operated on its doorsteps. We have learned over the years that views and opinions change given enough time. This change can happen if the fruit of your life and effort speaks louder than words. So ….. we began intentionally seeking after tangible and practical ways to serve and invest in any local community that the Church had/has relationship with.

What are some of the Crazy things that have been done for the annual fund raisers?

Graeme is the sort of person who has never sent anyone to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. So, he grabbed the only young bloke he knew at the time who would be crazy enough to join him. We decided to hold a 24hour Table Tennis marathon. (G thought he might need this young man’s health and energy). Thanks, Josh Rowles!

We had NO desire to raise money for ourselves. We DID want to inspire our community with a belief that we are on the earth to serve others. At the time, through connections to a long time close family friendship of Graeme’s, we met the incredible and gorgeous Chloe Saxby. Chloe was 7 or 8 years old at this time. When she was just 3, she was diagnosed with a very rare, currently incurable, disease called ‘Vanishing White Matter Disease’. You can find out more about this @savingchloesaxby.

When we met Chloe and her amazing, selfless Mum Nyree, Dad Grant and older sister Mads, we fell in love. Corrimal Community Church began an effort to consistently support the Saxby’s, an effort that continues today! That first fund raising effort also included raising awareness about finding a solution to youth Homelessness. This is something Graeme is passionate about. The fact that couch surfing is often the first awful step to a homeless outcome is distressing.

Supporting Salvation Army’s homelessness project

So, we supported the Salvation Army’s Couch Project. Graeme had the privilege of being a working patron for this cause during his work contract with the Salvos between 2013-2016.

In 2017 we had started serving the combined churches in the Northern Illawarra Christian Education Board. This board raises funds from scratch each year to employ 3 quality scripture teachers/chaplains in three local high schools.

We decided to take our serving the community effort outside of the church walls. So, Graeme did a 6 Hour Backwards Walk with a handful of support walk spotters, past the front gates of our three local High Schools. We continued to support the Chloe Saxby Foundation to help find a cure for Vanishing White Matter Disease. After the Backwards Walk, things seemed to start shifting in a positive direction as far as the neighbourhood’s view of our small church re-plant was concerned.

Long story short we started what we call The HOPE Project. Simply, it’s based on our belief that Jesus was sent to earth by Father God to declare, represent and demonstrate the kingdom of God ON earth as it IS in heaven. And so the Heaven On Planet Earth (H.O.P.E.) Project was born.

Is the HOPE 4 Kids Project a part of something bigger?

During the 12 months following the ‘6 Hour Backwards Walk’, we learned a lot and grew in our resolve to serve others. So, in 2018 we planned to have Graeme play Drums for 24 hours. We set this event up as a festival with neighbourhood activities running concurrent with the drum marathon. This crazy event launched The H.O.P.E. Project which received favourable and broad media attention. H.O.P.E was the descriptor and framework for all we were and continue to attempt to this day, and so it was not stretch at all to establish this annual fund raiser 4Kids with rare childhood diseases, under the H.O.P.E. banner.

Earlier in 2018 Graeme had conducted a dedication and naming ceremony for a beautiful little boy who belonged to a family in Canberra that he had conducted a number of life celebrations for whilst he lived in that city, continuing during the years since. Beau McClinton suffers with Ohtahara Syndrome. This is a rare childhood disease with an unclear future and is a form of epilepsy causing extreme numbers of full body tremors and fits. Well, we would love to help find a cure for this!

About the same time, we also became aware of the young son of a family that Graeme’s wife Karen had been closely associated with for many years. Michael Bereznai has a childhood affliction that was only identified as a rare childhood disease in about 2005. Neuroendocrine Hyperplasia of Infancy (NEHI) affects the lungs and breathing capacity of its victims and with that comes obvious challenges.

CCC HOPE 4 Kids was launched as part of the ‘Heaven On Planet Earth (H.O.P.E.) Project during the 2018 24 Hour Drum-a-thon as a simple platform for raising awareness and much needed research and support funding, for children dealing with rare childhood diseases and their wonderful families.

We could easily become overwhelmed by the great needs across our community. Nevertheless, we decided to work hard to support children we had a growing level of relationship with so that we can connect hearts to this effort as well as other things. It makes things more tangible and measurable and so for now we support Chloe’s Foundation, Beau, Michael and Airlee (whom we added in 2021 and share her story and our relationship with her in the 2021 wrap up above).

You mentioned earlier that sales of Graeme’s new commercial music album, ‘Better Now’ support HOPE4Kids?

From the very beginning of Graeme’s Better Now album project, we decided that a significant percentage of total sales of both the Limited Edition CD AND the digital download versions of the album would supplement fund raising efforts.

50% of album sales will be dedicated to the HOPE4Kids Project during Corrimal Community Church’s annual fundraiser each year. Graeme’s first anthology of songs from 1982-2007 is also available for digital download and 50% of all sales will be dedicated to the HOPE4Kids Project during fund raising event seasons. BOTH releases as described ascribe 20% of all sales to HOPE4Kids at ALL other times.

We’ve heard some sad news about Chloe Saxby. Can you update us?

Tragically, one of our four HOPE4Kids children, Chloe Saxby, passed away in November 2020, at just 12 years of age. We were so sad when our little mate went to her rest. This can be the reality for these families who’s dear children have incurable (currently) childhood diseases. We will keep praying for and supporting these families and their efforts to find cures. The Saxby family are currently more than happy for us to continue our support of ‘Saving Chloe Saxby’.

Corrimal Community Church NSW, Heartland Ministries Incorporated (registered Charity covering body) and the Better Now Album, are proud ongoing supporters of the HOPE4Kids project. If you, too, would like to support our kids and their families you can purchase a Better Now album or donate by clicking on the link below. DON’T FORGET to identify your deposit as ‘H4K’ or ‘HOPE4Kids’ if it fits the description of your donation.

THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE McCLINTON, BEREZNAI, SAXBY & PODMORE FAMILIES!

#ccchope4kids