Variety – the Children’s Charity presented a Sunshine Coach to Berengarra School in Box Hill on Thursday 2 February 2012. This presentation is thanks to Gloria Jean's Coffees and their global foundation With Heart, who raised $150,000 for Variety with their annual Cappuccino for a Cause campaign in October 2011.
The funds raised are being directed to Variety Freedom, the program that provides funding for mobility equipment like wheelchairs, walking frames, customised tricycles, Liberty Swings and Sunshine Coaches so children can get out and about.
Sunshine Coaches transport children from special schools and other organisations to activities that enable them to interact with their friends and the community. They literally bring sunshine into the lives of children, who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs and otherwise might be confined to their homes or schools. In 2011, Variety Victoria presented its 150th Sunshine Coach to Burwood East Special Developmental School.
This presentation will be attended by Troy McDonagh, Glenn Hindson and Melinda Wright from Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Variety Victoria board member David Rayner, , Principal Peter Heffernan, teachers and students from Berengarra School.
Berengarra is a non-profit co-educational school that provides innovative educational programmes to meet the individual needs of students from years 7 to 10 with social and emotional problems. The school programmes focus on the development of self-esteem and resilience through emphasising areas of strength, strengthening basic learning skills and the development of self-understanding.
This Sunshine Coach will be very useful for the transportation between the two campuses of the school and also to various activities and groups the students attend. There were some very excited students at the presentation who wanted to take the brand new Sunshine Coach out for a drive immediately. 
In addition to this presentation, Variety is pleased to announce that the remaining funds raised will be directed to four other Variety projects; a Sunshine Coach for Plumpton Education Community, a Sunshine Coach for Endeavour Sports High, Caringbah, a Liberty Swing for Clifford Park Special School, Toowoomba and a Liberty Swing for Gladys Newton School, Balga.
On behalf of the children of Variety, we are truly grateful to Gloria Jean’s Coffees for their support.
Thank you!