Make them Shine 2018
What an incredible event. Throw together a showroom full of smokin' hot classic cars, a dash of proud auto enthusiasts and a few thousand kids with their parents and you have the making of a hell of a day. This event is put on every year as part of the gargantuan Good Friday Appeal, an annual fundraising activity for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. No one charges for their time and every penny raised goes to the hospital.
Individuals and businesses, clubs, schools and country towns throughout the state of Victoria conduct activities to raise money for the Hospital. No one charges for their time and every penny raised goes to the hospital. The Appeal is a non-political, non-denominational event that exists solely to financially support The Royal Children’s Hospital.
Everyone gets involved - everyone. This is the day you dedicate for the service of others. Everyone smiles, everyone opens their hearts and their pockets and gives their time, money or both. Radio stations, supermarkets, hairdressers, schools, scouts - all focus on supporting The Good Friday Appeal on this day and do everything from sell cookies to run marathons to raise money for the Hospital.
This year, the appeal raised $18 million, a new record. Eighteen MILLION dollars. Holy Cow. More than $345 million has been given to the hospital since the appeal began in 1931.
I was fortunate enough to be invited by the folks who run the Make them Shine car event to capture the images of this epic day. It was fascinating photographing the cool cars, the happy people and a challenge trying to get an image which showed the beauty of the automobiles - but the real beauty was the vibe at the event and the people behind it. I was proud to be a human being on this day and it re-instilled my belief that we are good, caring, empathetic souls put on this planet to nurture and support each other. Yes, for all you car buffs - I got all fuzzy and philosophical at a classic auto show :)
x
Em