Update: 23 March 2020
Since the last update, there has been a dramatic increase in the spread of COVID-19. There are now over 1479 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 259 in QLD (as at 23 March). The Australian Government announced over the weekend restrictions on non-essential domestic travel, and the QLD Government has now moved to close its borders and some non-essential services at this stage.
Our primary concern is always the health and safety of our staff, families, supporters, volunteers and our community. Therefore the Variety Queensland office will be closed effective Friday 27 March. All staff will be working remotely, and phone calls will be diverted and transferred to an appropriate team member. Alternatively you can contact us via email at [email protected].
With a number of our fundraising events and activities having already been postponed or cancelled, we can’t yet know how extensive the impact of this crisis will be on our organisation and the families who rely on us for help, but we know it will be significant. Over the coming days and weeks we will be rolling out a number of initiatives aimed at minimising those impacts. Now more than ever we will need the full support of the Variety Family to be able to continue to support the kids who need our help.
Like many Australians, you’re no doubt facing new challenges brought on by the evolving situation around COVID-19. And just like you, families of kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability are facing great uncertainty, with the increased pressure of being more vulnerable to the negative medical and financial impacts of the virus.
This page on our website will provide further updates on the current situation, including detail of events and programs that have been postponed or cancelled.
Update 19 March 2020.
We share the community’s concerns around the increasing risk of COVID-19 and would like to reassure everyone that we are closely monitoring the situation. Our thoughts go out to all those who have been directly impacted by the evolving situation.
Unfortunately we have had to postpone the upcoming Variety Kids Sports Camp on the Gold Coast and cancel the Variety of Stars Gala. Some of our upcoming supporter events have also been cancelled, including Nissan K’s 4 Variety Kids. We recognise this is very disappointing, however we hope you understand that the health and safety of our Variety family remains our top priority.
Based on current advice, we do not believe the Bash or 4WD Adventure are under threat of cancellation. However, all Variety events, including our motoring events, will be assessed on an individual basis, taking into account the situation at the time and the latest advice from the Australian Government Department of Health. Our primary concern is always the health and safety of our staff, families, event participants, volunteers and the communities we visit.
We will provide regular updates as the situation evolves.