Bash brings besties joy

For best friends Glen Cornish from Mandurah and Brad Dean from Secret Harbour, the Variety Bash has been a regular fixture on their calendar for the past seven years.

With friends Phil Bailey and first-timer Warren Stirrat, the group transformed into Ninja Turtles with a car to match for Australia’s most iconic motor fundraising event, raising $32,000 between them.

“It’s an opportunity to give back while having a trip of a lifetime,” Mr Cornish said.

“Knowing that the money makes such a difference to families doing it really tough with sick kids is pretty special and that’s why we keep coming back.”

This year’s bash saw 29 cars and 89 participants embark from Kununurra for a week-long adventure through gorges, caves and waterholes, visiting children in communities and schools.

“There was lots and lots of dust but it was a trouble free journey and we took it easy,” Mr Cornish said.

“The car is almost 45 years old and is a never-ending work in progress — every year we break something and fix it again.

“The bash is a celebration of the funds that we raise all throughout the year and a chance to get out into the community.”

The team chose the Ninja Turtles four years ago because they were readily identifiable to children and parents and have stuck with the theme ever since.

“There was a kid in Mount Barnett who got up at 6.30am in his Ninja Turtle T-shirt and waited for us to get there, we took him for a ride in the car and a made a fuss — it’s great to see the kids smile,” Mr Cornish said.

Collectively, the bash raised more than $720,000 this year for kids in WA who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs.

Variety WA chief executive Michael Pailthorpe said during the bash there was smiles and laughter all round, with plenty of characters, colour and camaraderie.

“It was clear that the magic of the Variety Bash has to be experienced to be understood,” he said.

The funds raised allow Variety WA to support the specific needs of individual children as well as larger projects for schools and other organisations.