More than 3,000 donated tubs of Play-Doh have been handed over to The Children's Hospital at Westmead today (Wednesday) by Hawkesbury police.
A group of local officers toured the wards this morning (June 27) as the culmination of the command’s annual charity drive, which sees tubs of Play-Doh and accessories donated by members of the public given to the hospital.
Play-Doh used by patients at the hospital must be discarded after each use due to infection risk management practices, meaning it is in constant demand.
More than 1,600 tubs were collected this year by one 12-year-old boy alone, Craig Black, who conducted his own community drive for Play-Doh for the second year in a row.
Craig arranged his own fund raising, and through support from Nelly's Warriors in St Clair, his teachers at Plumpton High, and the Toongabbie Hotel, was able to drop off 1,660 tubs of Play-Doh to Windsor police station on May 22.
Craig is due to attend today’s hand-over, with local police arranging a special ride down in a police car.
Children from Fun Factory Out of School Hours (OOSH) care at North Richmond also collected an impressive 650 tubs for donation.
“Some very brave patients, strong parents and incredible staff shared some stories of courage, love and dedication with the battles they confront,” Hawkesbury Police Area Command posted on social media.
“There was a lot of details we will share on the success of this visit, which generated incredible support from the Hawkesbury community.
“Your police are often faced with some very confronting situations but the staff who made the visit today met some real heroes.”
The Hawkesbury officers were joined by North West Metropolitan Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Mark Jones, APM, who said the event was a great way to brighten the spirits of the children and their families.
“This visit is a great opportunity to support the community and be part of a positive distraction for the kids,” Assistant Commissioner Jones said.
“It’s always such a pleasure to see the big smiles on the kids’ faces when we visit and the bravery and determination they show us is truly inspiring.”
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead treats 70,000 sick and injured children from NSW and beyond each year.
