Every child remembers receiving their first bike for Christmas, but many grow up without this memory. For disadvantaged families the reality of such extravagant gifts is out of their reach.

For seven years running Variety 3AW listeners have opened their hearts and wallets to give disadvantaged children the gift of a bike in time for Christmas. Donors who pledged funds are invited to come along to meet the children at our annual bike presentations. In 2009, 1,120 bikes were donated by the people of Melbourne. 

Variety Victoria CEO, Norm Hutton, said, since its inception the relationship with 3AW has netted disadvantaged children more than 5,000 bikes.

"Many of these children have never owned a bike," Mr Hutton says. "Variety has long understood that disadvantage can be more than going without. It can also mean that children are disenfranchised from their peers and the social implications of this can be devastating. Since the program began we have raised more than one million dollars thanks to the wonderful support of 3AW and the generosity of its listeners."

We look forward to our bike presentations later in the year which allows donors to personally hand over a bike to a deserving child. This will take place at a series of events throughout Victoria in the lead-up to Christmas. The children concerned are identified by local welfare and support agencies and their names provided to Variety.

For more information on how to nominate children for this program next year, please contact: varietyatwork@varietyvic.org.au
or phone 03 8698 3900