Thursday December 10, 2009
Melbourne celebrities support auction for children’s charity
Australian celebrities including Melbourne fashion guru Jenny Bannister and TV chef Guy Grossi have
turned baby blankets into art collectables in support of Save the Children’s eBay auction to raise funds to
help toddlers, young children and their families in some of the poorest countries in the world.
“Star Baby” is Jenny’s name for her blanket – a name inspired by asking the universe’s biggest questions:
Where do we come from? Who designed us? “I wanted to do the blanket to bring attention to the plight
of children. Everyone is born equal but in uncontrollable circumstances,” Bannister said. “Some children
suffer through no fault of their own.”
Children and family inspired Guy to roll up his sleeves put down his chef’s knife and support Save the
Children’s baby blanket auction. “Children are a very important part of my family and my life,” Grossi
said. “They are the main inspiration for me doing what I do and working so hard. So when I was asked to
decorate a baby blanket I was happy to be involved and make it special for the kids.”
Jenny and Guy are joined by a string of high profile Australians who have decorated baby blankets for
Save the Children’s eBay auction including cricketing legend David Boon, Fuzzy Agolley of Channel Ten’s
Video Hits, and Coach of Collingwood Football Club, Mick Malthouse.
Ending on December 20, the eBay auction is in support of the charity’s Survive to Five campaign to reduce
the infant mortality rates in some of the world’s poorest countries. Worldwide 8.8 million children under
the age of five die each year. Many of these deaths are from preventable causes such as pneumonia,
diarrhoea, malaria and measles. Others die from malnutrition, lack of clean water or due to poverty.
Survive to Five is calling on rich countries including Australia to help improve the health and wellbeing of
newborns and children in poor countries. It is estimated that 4.2 million more health workers are needed
globally in order to reduce child death by two-thirds.
Celebrities who have decorated baby blankets in support of Save the Children’s Survive to Five campaign
include:
Guy Grossi – T V celebrity chef
Mick Malthouse – Coach of Collingwood Football Club
Rachel Friend – TV Personality
Liza Emmanuelle – Australian fashion designer
Fuzzy Agolley – Presenter of Channel Ten’s Video Hits
Peter Cundall – Former host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia
Jo Palmer – Host of Tasmania’s Southern Cross Nightly News and former Miss Australia
David Boon – Former Australian cricketer
Valentino Rossi – Nine time world champion motorcycle racer
For an interview with a celebrity supporter of Save the Children
call Ian Woolverton on 0437 355 096
NEWS 
