Appeal: Rebecca Winkler and son Sterling with products for the SIDS fundraiser.
ERIN PEARSON
A CHANCE afternoon clean-out has sparked a unique fundraising idea to save newborns.
Torquay’s Rebecca Winkler said the death of an infant from her Surf Coast mothers group in November had shattered members.
She hoped a second-hand fashion market could raise vital funds for research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which claimed the life of five-month-old River Waddell.
“I really wanted to help the family in some way and as I was cleaning out my wardrobe the other week I realised I could get rid of all this stuff and raise money for charity at the same time,” Ms Winkler said.
River’s parents, Alex Hamilton and Karl Waddell, set up a foundation in their son’s honor to help fund SIDS research.
Ms Hamilton said the tragedy had changed her life.
“The outpouring of support has been overwhelming but unfortunately the general public think SIDS has been almost eradicated. When I woke up that morning it wasn’t the case.
“No research is now done in Australia, so we need to send a researcher over to America to gain knowledge and bring it back. We need to know why SIDS is happening.”
The fundraiser will run from 9am to 1pm on March 17 at Belmont’s Barwon Valley Activity Centre, with stalls available to hire for $30.
Ms Winkler said more information was available by emailing her on beccy_kate@hotmail.com
