Elvis car gets big start for Variety Bash

Head of the Drouin Rotary Club committee that organised the Variety Bash fund-raiser at Warragul Leigh Bates and his wife Karen with musician Wilbur Wilde whose “V for Victory” hand signal was a thank you to the 200 people that attended and raised $26,000 for the children’s charity.

A fundraiser at Warragul has given a $26,000 injection to local David Hobbs’ team for this year’s Variety Victoria Bash that raises funds for the Variety children’s charity.

Mr Hobbs, who takes on the guise of the legendary Elvis Presley when he gets behind the wheel of his Elvis team car 141, has raised about $500,000 for the charity since his first start in the rally more than a decade ago and is aiming to add more than $50,000 to that figure in August.

Drouin Rotary Club president Roger Playdon chose Variety, and Mr Hobbs’ participation in the Bash, as one of the club’s major fundraisers for this year drawing 200 people that filled the Warragul Industrials Football Netball Club’s social room. Supporters of the night freely opened their wallets to try to snare raffle prizes and a host of goods and services up for auction.

Highlights of the night included Craig Willis, regarded as “the voice” of the AFL and Australian Open tennis championships, after almost 30 years introducing the events on the grounds and courts; former “Hey, Hey it’s Saturday” musician Wilbur Wilde and the The Troublemakers band, and an introduction to the crowd of “Hannah” a companion dog Variety provided for a local family.

Head of Drouin Rotary’s organising committee for the event Leigh Bates, along with Mr Hobbs, said as well as the generous response from those that attended the significant contributions of many district businesses ensured a successful fundraiser.

He acknowledged major partners and sponsors who had supported the event.

This year’s Variety Victoria Bash heads off from Melbourne on August 16, arriving at its finishing point on the Gold Coast 10 days later after travelling for three days in Victoria before crossing the border and into outback New South Wales on its way to Queensland.

David Hobbs (right) who will head the Elvis team again in this year’s Variety Victoria Bash to raise funds for children’s charity Variety gets some encouragement from popular musician Wilbur Wilde at a function in Warragul that raised $26,000 in support of the team’s effort.