Kathryn and Andrew Reder, parents of 7-year-old Tegan and 8-year-old Chloe, will join the ‘carnival on wheels' in their decorated pre-1975 car for the annual Variety WA Bash, helping to raise thousands of dollars for the children's charity.

Kathryn and Andrew have a very special reason for participating. Their younger daughter Tegan is a client here at the Association for the Blind of WA. We are the 2010 charity partner for Variety WA.

Variety WA will present a grant to the Association to support the development of an early intervention centre for babies and young children living with a vision impairment and their families.

Kathryn explains how the grant will help.

‘The funding received from Variety WA will enable the Association to further help so many parents, children and their families in our situation' says Kathryn.

‘The funding will be used to expand the Children's Centre at the Association. The new room will help children to grow and develop with special sensory games, and aid with interaction with other vision impaired children. It will also accommodate siblings who are very often in the shadows of their brother or sister,' she continues.

Kathryn will enter the Bash for the first time. She was inspired to enter after attending the launch for the 2010 Bash.

‘The launch gave us the opportunity to listen to some of the amazing stories and look at the great pictures of previous Bashes. Everyone was clearly having a blast!' explains Kathryn.

‘Soon after the event we noticed a car for sale. After not very much thought but with loads of enthusiasm we decided to go ahead and buy the car. We wanted to make it a Guide Dogs theme as they will benefit greatly from the bash this year'.

The Variety WA Bash begins in Joondalup on August 28, passing through Geraldton, Mt Magnet, Meekatharra, Merredin, Narrogin and other towns before returning to Perth on September 4.

‘On behalf of my husband and I and all other parents out there facing our painfully hard, but continuously rewarding battle, we would like to thank the Bashers and the Association for the Blind of WA for making the development of the Centre possible,' Kathryn said.

‘To be able to walk into a centre where your child is no different than any other and people do not look at you with pity, but with joy and happiness because of their passion, persistence and love for life is always a happy moment.' 

Kathryn encourages the public to keep up their fundraising efforts as the dollars they raise will continue to help so many families like her own. 

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