They got together, had some food and drink, watched a game of footy and collected donations for Starlight, a children’s charity focused on improving the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children.
That small gathering in the tin shed was the start of something special for the Dowsons.
There fundraising efforts have grown every year to the point where they’ve raised more than $50,000 for Starlight, including an amazing total this year.
“We are extremely proud to have raised $25,000 this year, it’s just huge,” Haylie said.
“This year we held a cocktail party for 214 people. It was an exclusive evening where parents could come along and enjoy the music, have some drinks and catch up.
“It was a night for some parents who have sick children to relax and forget about the stresses that come with that, and that is something that they don’t get the opportunity to do often, and that was what we wanted to capture.”
Haylie knows all too well what it’s like to have a sick child.
The Dowson family set out for a family holiday in January this year to enjoy 12 days in a camper van travelling around Tasmania.
Three days into their holiday their youngest daughter, Tayten, collapsed on the beach.
There are no pediatric emergency facilities in Tasmania so Haylie and Tayten were flown straight to Adelaide, splitting up the family.
“Phil and our twins, Hayden and Brooklyn, dropped the camper van off and flew straight to Perth so the kids could stay with my mum.
Then Phil flew to Adelaide to be with me and Tayten,” Haylie said.
It was at Adelaide Children’s Hospital where Haylie personally experienced just how vital Starlight’s support was to families dealing with a crisis.
“The first smile my daughter had after seven days in hospital came about from a Starlight captain in the Starlight Express Room,” she said.
“It really floored us because all these years we have put all this money in and helped out, but it’s not until you are actually on the receiving end that you realise what a difference it makes.
“It’s actually overwhelming. The Starlight captain was the biggest ray of sunshine in our whole holiday.”
On returning to Kalgoorlie, Haylie and Phil were inspired to make their Purple Haze contribution this year bigger than anything they had done before.
“We had a totally different perspective to our relationship with Starlight, so that was a major drive for us,” she said.
“What really hit home is that every second person in our town of 30,000 people is affected by having a sick child or a child that needs an appointment at PMH, which has the Starlight Express Room.
“It’s very easy to touch base with those people and get those people to pop a few dollars into a tin.
“You drive six hours to get to Princess Margaret Hospital from Kalgoorlie, so for the kids to be able to go into the Starlight Express Room as soon as you arrive is a huge relief.”
Huge Freo fans, the Dowsons are in Perth for tomorrow night’s game.
“Tayten has a follow up appointment at PMH, so we’ll go into the Starlight Express Room before coming along to the game and popping some money into the Starlight tubs,” she said.
“I can’t wait.”
2013 STARLIGHT PURPLE HAZE GAME: Friday 12 April v Essendon at Patersons Stadium, 6.40pm bounce down. Dress in purple to WIN! Proudly supported by Fremantle Ports. Find out how you can help Starlight here.
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