The Inner Wheel Club of Yarrawonga Mulwala is holding one of its biggest fundraising events for the third year in a row on Sunday, March 19 with the national ‘Two for Ten walk’.
The easy two-kilometre walk, which is a national fundraiser for Stem Cell Research using the richest blood from the umbilical cord to help find ways to cure many diseases, is growing in popularity and will this year also be supported by the Rotary Club of Yarrawonga Mulwala for a donation of $10.
Starting anytime between 11.30am and 12.30pm from Chinaman’s Island, participants will just have to follow the red balloons with a free sausage sizzle to follow.
Since the year 2000, Inner Wheel Australia have been raising funds for this important cause, with more than $3 million dollars being donated since inception, all of which has gone to Australian researchers in the form of grants.
The lives of many have been saved by this research, especially children’s lives. Many blood disorders including Leukaemia, auto immune diseases, cystic fibrosis, heart disease and stroke have benefited from this stem cell research.
It’s all about giving a loved one a second chance. Which also fits in with the ethos of the Inner Wheel Club.
The Inner Wheel began in England with a group of Rotarian wives who were wanting to do their own community work and from that humble beginning, the organisation gradually gained momentum worldwide.
The first Inner Wheel Club to be charted outside of Great Britain was Ballarat in Victoria in 1933.
After learning about this Women’s International Inner Wheel Organisation through Rotary, some unstructured gatherings were held in the homes of interested women in Yarrawonga.
The club was charted at a formal meeting with 25 members in 1978 with Rosemary Lewis as the first president.
Over the years there have been many ups and downs with the rise and fall of membership, to a point of having to consider folding, but the club has prevailed, after having given 63 year of service to the community.
The Yarrawonga Mulwala Inner Wheel currently have 40 members with this historic record speaking for itself.
The IIW is now one of the largest international women’s organizations in the world with history dating back to 1924 while also currently holding a seat on the board of the World Health Organisation specialising in Women and Children.
National Project Co-ordinator and Yarrawonga Mulwala Inner Wheel member Dallice Robins said that many people ask the question, who and what is Inner Wheel? But the answer is simple. “Friendship, community service, national and international service,” Ms Robins said.
“Firstly, the emphasis is on friendship. Secondly we make ourselves worthwhile where we have three major activities.
“One is community, donating cheques every year to local organizations. Two is working for national Stem Cell research through cord blood and third is supporting a much-needed international cause. We also deliver ‘Meals-on-Wheels’.
“Strong leadership, in the form of our executive committee headed by President Christine Seabridge and her team of dedicated members is the foundation for success and our club has been extremely fortunate to have had a history strong leaders.”
In 2000 the name of the national fundraiser known as ‘Coin for a Cord’ was introduced by the then National Project Coordinator, Ann McGill from the Narre Warren Club.
For the first 20 years, many locals will remember the Belmore street stalls the Yarrawonga Mulwala Inner Wheel Club held every year, selling promotional pens, pins, bears, raffle tickets and others items.
As with many other things nationwide, Covid caused a big rethink and the Innerwheel Club needed to step out of their comfort zone and find another way to keep this vital cause going.
In 2020, with annual changes to the Australian leadership, local club member Dallice Robins was requested to take on the leadership role of National Project Coordinator.
Dallice was no stranger to making changes, so knowing full well she needed to find a way to keep this extremely important cause going forward, her idea of the walk was presented, being well received by IWA and indeed the whole national membership.
The first walk was instigated in 2021 with the 13 districts and 120 clubs throughout Australia getting behind the new project. Suffice to say it was a major success.
If you would like to learn more, please go to the Innerwheel website at www.innerwheelaustralia.org.au or for more history regarding cord blood research, go to www.innerwheelaustralia.org.au/national-project.
Make sure to join in and help Innerwheel to raise the much needed funds for the important cause of cord blood research.
Remember the date, March 19 at 11.30am at Chinaman’s Island and don’t forget to look for the red balloons.