Barry Plant Berwick has raised $72,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia through its first-ever Trivia Night fundraiser, held at the Pink Hill Hotel in Beaconsfield.
The sold-out event drew almost 300 attendees and brought together local businesses, families and community members in support of the charity, which grants wishes to children living with critical illnesses.
For Barry Plant Berwick director Hayley Taufa, the event was personal.
“Barry Plant being affiliated with Make-A-Wish is always at the back of our minds,” Hayley said.
“But Barry Plant Warragul – Drouin director, Candice Hill, has a nephew who recently had his Make-A-Wish granted. Because it was a little bit closer to home, we wanted to do something above and beyond.”
That nephew is Logan, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at 11 months old. After completing treatment, he relapsed in early 2025 and has faced further treatment since.
A dedicated Collingwood supporter, Logan’s wish was to meet his football heroes, particularly Nick Daicos.
Through Make-A-Wish Australia, he attended a Collingwood training session, met the players and ran onto the MCG alongside Daicos during the star’s 100th AFL game.
“Obviously, you hear about these things, but until you see it and witness it, I don’t think you fully grasp it,” Hayley said.
“We see Logan, we see his mum and his auntie, and I think that’s why it hit home to all of us.”
The Berwick team’s first attempt at fundraising for the cause was a sausage sizzle in 2025 that raised almost $10,000.
Encouraged by the response, they decided to think bigger for the Trivia Night, initially targeting $40,000 before lifting their goal to $50,000 as momentum built.
“To get to $72,000 was honestly insane,” Hayley said.
“We’re very happy, and we’re now going to make it a yearly event where we do something every year and try to top the year before.”
The fundraiser was backed by major sponsors Premier Conveyancing Group, CheckHero and Turnkey, alongside numerous local businesses and residents who donated prizes and auction items, with many attendees also making spontaneous donations on the night.
“It just makes you realise how good our community is in Berwick,” Hayley said.
“That $72,000 was literally from locals who came to the event.”
Make-A-Wish Australia CEO Sally Bateman attended the event after hearing about it through local volunteers.
According to Hayley, Sally later told the team the result was unprecedented for a single community fundraiser.
“She sent us an email saying there’s never been a single community event that’s actually raised that much money,” Hayley said. “We were all quite emotional on the night.”
Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell said the network supports Make-A-Wish each October through its Wishtober campaign, but singled out the Berwick office for going further.
“For the Berwick office to organise an additional fundraiser of their own is truly inspiring,” Lisa said.
“Raising such an incredible amount is a testament not only to their passion for the cause, but also to the strong relationships they’ve built within the Berwick community. They should be immensely proud of what they’ve achieved.”
Hayley said the event showed what the office’s community ties could achieve.
“We’re in an industry that’s deeply connected to the community, and it’s really rewarding to use those connections to give back in a meaningful way,” she said.
The team is already planning to grow the event further next year.
“If we can all do something like this once a year, whatever the scale, it can make a huge difference to those who need our support most,” Hayley said.