PRESS RELEASE

July 9, 2010For immediate use

RAINTREES GIVES BACK(PACKS)New kid on the block, Backpacks for Aussie Kids is a local charity working to give foster kids an easier transition to a new foster home by providing each child with an age and gender specific backpack with life’s little necesseties.Raintrees Shopping Centre recently learnt of the charity and leapt at the opportunity to donate 40 backpacks left over from a previous promotion to such a worthy cause.

“We’ve had these backpacks sitting here and thought of various ways to give them away but none of the ideas we came up with married up as well with the centre’s philosophy which is Community, Value and Convenience. Backpacks for Aussie Kids ticked all the boxes, the one of primary concern being Community. We see it as being a highly valuable cause and it’s convenient because we can give them all to the one organization ” said Centre Manager, Russell Mitchell-Smith with a wink.

Backpacks for Aussie Kids was recently established in Innisfail by two ex-school teachers who regularly saw the plight of children placed into foster care without anything of their own until their new carers had an opportunity to get to the shops.

“If we can get a backpack to each child that is placed into foster care, we can be sure they have the necessities that they deserve, things such as a toothbrush and clean underpants. We think it’s important to give these children something to call their own when quite often everything they ever knew has been left behind in disarray. A torch helps them get to the toilet in a new house, a teddy gives them something to hang onto. Clean clothes to wear to school, it’s important for self esteem you know” says Despina Parakas,, founder of Backpacks for Aussie Kids.

Ends.

Raintrees Centre Manager, Russell Mitchell-Smith will be presenting the backpacks to Despina Parakas at the centre today at 11am.