Bass Coast bring it for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea

BRINGING together local families and businesses, Deery Consulting hosted their third morning tea for the Cancer Council on Thursday, May 25.   

Organised by Deery Consulting Office Manager Robyn Hodson, which Paul Deery, owner of the business dubs a “fundraising machine,” the event was first hosted between lock downs.  

The idea was to bring people together, out of isolation, to have a chat and share some food while raising money.  

About 20 people attended and it has grown year on year, with 55 people attending last year and between 80-90 people expected for this year’s morning tea.  Robyn said the event was a combined effort.   

“We provide the space and we organise it, but it’s a real community event. It brings different community groups together for a common cause.”  

With over 30 local people and businesses contributing in some way to the morning tea,whether that be the food, balloons and decorations, tables and chairs or raffle and auction items, it’s clearly a meaningful event to a lot of people.  

“It (cancer) touches people in different ways, if not directly, then through other people, they see the pain and suffering,” Robyn said.  

“I’ve lost five friends over the last 12 months, three have won their battles.”  

Bass Coast artist Fiona Kennedy is one of those who has been directly impacted by cancer.  

“It’s a good cause and one that is close to my heart. My brother died from cancer in 2020, on my birthday.”  

Fiona donated one of her amazing art works from her limited gold collection to be auctioned off to help raise funds for the cause.   

Valued at $1500 the artwork is number eight out of a collection of ten and is gilded with 24 carat gold, etched into each feather.   

Fiona says her artworks usually get snapped up quickly as people often purchase the paintings from the sketches she does before she even begins the painting.   

Also, on display were three of her beautifully colorful oil paintings and Fiona’s book, Life Through the Heart of Fiona Kennedy, for purchase, “My work is storytelling,” she said.  The book displays 90 of her artworks, with the story behind each one told.  The event raised $8800 for the Cancer Council.   “Wow. We are blown away this year by the generosity of our community,” Robyn said, and Paul

Deery commented. 

“I am grateful to the individual families and business owners and all their very generous donations.”