NORTHERN suburbs residents recently took part in the Variety ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ Bash, raising money for children’s charity Variety WA.
Transforming their 1985 Mercedes 500 SE into a Toy Story 4 fun ride, Mindarie’s Paul Bruno, Lee Plunger, of Quinns Rocks, and Craig Gregory, of Duncraig, took part in the annual bash for the first time.
Mr Bruno said they raised almost $11,000, exceeding the $8000 minimum required for first-time participants.
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READ NOW“The experience was so amazing that for sure we will be in it again next year, Perth to Fremantle via Kalgoorlie,” he said.
“We, like many others did, brought small toys and giveaways for the children we visited at some of the schools and within the town centres.
“The sites we saw were amazing but visiting the schools and playing with the children was probably the highlight for me.
“It’s amazing to see how happy the children seem with having so little.”
Mr Bruno said it took about five months to put their car together, sanding and repainting it before adding the vinyl decals from the Toy Story series.
“We definitely needed to do more but ran out of time,” he said.
“In saying that we did however to make in through without fail and also managed to win best car.”
For their second bash, Mindarie resident Glen Antonio teamed up with friends Tony Logan (Quinns Rocks), Mark Oliver (Quinns Rocks) and newcomer Joe Eggerton (Toodyay) in their M&Ms-themed 1972 Valiant station wagon.
Other northern suburbs participants included Steve Guy, of Hillarys, participating for the first time in a SpongeBob-themed 1969 Holden HJ Kingswood and Duncraig’s Graham Harris in his fifth bash with the Pirates team in a 1976 Ford Fairlane.
Altogether, 89 participants in 29 cars took part in this year’s event, raising $720,000 for the charity before and during the drive from Kununurra to Broome in late August.