Barry Plant Berwick Raises $72,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia

Held at the Pink Hill Hotel in Beaconsfield, the sold-out event attracted almost 300 attendees and united local businesses, families and community members behind a shared goal: helping create life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses.

For Barry Plant Berwick Director Hayley Taufa, the cause was much more than a corporate partnership.

"Barry Plant being affiliated with Make-A-Wish is always at the back of our minds," said Hayley.

"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 when he was just 11 months old. After successfully completing treatment, Logan relapsed in early 2025 and has since faced further treatment with remarkable courage and resilience.

A passionate Collingwood supporter, Logan's wish was to meet his football heroes, particularly Nick Daicos. Thanks to Make-A-Wish Australia, he attended a Collingwood training session, met the players and, in an unforgettable moment, 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 first tested the waters with a Make-A-Wish sausage sizzle in 2025, raising almost $10,000. Encouraged by the response, they decided to think bigger.

"Once we started promoting it, we were actually quite shocked by the number of locals who said, 'I'd donate something for you to raffle off' or 'I'd give you this'," Hayley said. "After that, we thought, why don't we try and go a little bit bigger?"

Initially aiming to raise $40,000, the team soon increased their target to $50,000 as momentum built. What happened next exceeded everyone's expectations.

"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 supported by major sponsors Premier Conveyancing Group, CheckHero and Turnkey, while countless other local businesses and residents contributed prizes, donations and auction items. Many attendees even made 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."

The success of the evening also attracted the attention of Make-A-Wish Australia CEO Sally Bateman, who attended after hearing about the fundraiser through local volunteers.

According to Hayley, Bateman later revealed that the amount raised was unprecedented for a single community fundraising event.

"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 praised the Berwick office's outstanding fundraising efforts.

"Each October, our network proudly supports Make-A-Wish through our annual Wishtober campaign, but for the Berwick office to organise an additional fundraiser of their own is truly inspiring. 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," said Pennell.

While the fundraising result was remarkable, Hayley believes the event demonstrated something equally important.

"I think we all know now that we can create something pretty special," she said. "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."

For a five-person office, raising $72,000 in one evening is an extraordinary achievement. More importantly, those funds will help create moments of joy, hope and escape for children and families facing unimaginable challenges.

And for Barry Plant Berwick, this is only the beginning.

"Next year, we'd love others to get involved and help spread the word so we can make the fundraiser even bigger and better," Hayley said. "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."