Monster Raffle Musters Over $15K Worth Of Cash And Toys

By Dan Hutton on June 16, 2011 in News

On the last Friday of May and the first Friday of June, two incarnations of the one big charity event were held in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.

The event in question is the annual Forever Johnno Monster Raffle and Charity Auction, a fundraiser that has now been running for twelve years and which raises funds for the Westmead Children’s Hospital’s Clancy Ward, as well as The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.

On home turf, numbers at the Charring Cross Hotel were a little down on last year, but those who were in attendance certainly weren’t afraid to part with their hard-earned cash.

A number of celebrities turned out for the event including a few of the stunners from Australia’s Next Top Model, and while the Bondi Vet was a late withdrawal (a bad hair day, maybe?) the real stars of the night were co-MCs Mal Ward and Steve Holt, as well as Mal’s son Charlie who made his debut this year thanks to an extension of his bed time, a favour that he repaid by offering timely assurances to his father.

“One of the highlights of the night was when Charlie turned to me and said, ‘You’re doing a really good job Dad’. It was great to have him there for the first time and it meant a lot to me that he was having a good time,” Mal told The Beast.

At night’s end, the crowd had downed many a schooner, danced wildly to the tunes of Nick Andrews and his band, dropped $11,320 into the charity kitty and donated over $950 worth of toys, won on the night, back to the hospital.

One week later down at the Royal Standard Hotel in Melbourne, the Forever Johnno Monster Raffle and Charity Auction made it’s debut south of the border. Attendance was strong for the event and while it’s not yet as big as the Sydney raffle, things certainly look promising for the future. The Melbourne raffle and auction raised $3,586 for The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, taking the cash total for the two events to $14,906 plus $950 worth of toys.

Such events are not possible without the help of a lot of people, and Mal was quick to offer his thanks.

“I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Forever Johnno Monster Raffle and Auction. I had so many wonderful helpers, before, on and after the night. Thanks to everyone who came along and purchased tickets, donated a prize, purchased an auction item or helped out in any way,” Mal said.

The Forever Johnno Monster Raffle and Charity Auction is held in loving memory of Mal Ward’s son Johnno, who passed away in 2008 at the age of nine after a long battle with Childhood Liver Disease.