The local community came together last month to support Macarthur mums Julie Gravina, Cassie Michel and Jessica Gowans, who held a cake stall at Bunnings Gregory Hills and raised over $5,000 for Jeans for Genes.
The inspirational trio were joined by their children Charlize (4), Iluka (4) and Henry (5) who are featured in this year’s national Jeans for Genes campaign, which is the iconic campaign that raises funds for the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI).
“We were blown away to raise over $5,000 from the stall, of which we saw $4,545 raised from selling cakes, and the rest from selling merchandise and from generous donations made directly to Jeans for Genes on the day.
“When we put the word out about our fundraiser, we were overwhelmed to have every baked item donated by local small bakery businesses, as well as locals who love to bake. Thanks to social media we were able to put the word out about our sale into the community through local message boards. We sold out by lunch time!” smiled Jessica Gowans.
With 7 children featured this year in the national Jeans for Genes campaign, it was amazing to find that Julie, Cassie and Jessica’s children (who make up 3) are all local. This was a great opportunity for the mums to run a fundraiser and to advocate together for Jeans for Genes.
“We are passionate about supporting CMRI to find better treatments and cures for childhood disease, not just for our children, but for all children who have a birth defect or genetic disease. 1 in 20 kids have a birth defect or genetic disease, which means there are a lot of families in Macarthur who also hope for better treatments and cures for their children.” said Jessica.
They plan on having another bake sale closer to Jeans for Genes Day. Keep an eye out on social media! Jessica will also be running in this year’s City 2 Surf for Team Jeans for Genes (https://city2surf2019.everydayhero.com/au/jessica-gowans)
Jeans for Genes Day will be held on Friday 2nd August. If you would like to raise money or donate, head to www.jeansforgenes.org.au.