This Friday night the Bulldogs will do battle with the Eels for the 8th annual Bandaged Bear Cup.
The annual event is all about giving thanks and paying tribute to the hard work of over 3,500 staff and volunteers at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Every day, these wonderful doctors, nurses, administration staff and volunteers give their all to help the children of western Sydney the best care possible, at the time when they need it most.
As a thank you, each year every staff member and their families are given the opportunity to attend this match free of charge.
Monday the 21st of July marked the launch of the 2014 Bandaged Bear Cup with Josh Reynolds and Sapphires Dom and Darcie, joining forces with the Eels Tim Mannah, Ben Smith and two of the Sweet P’s.
Darcie shares her experienc:
Dom and I represented the Sapphires and joined two of the Parramatta Sweet P's along with Josh Reynolds, Tim Mannah and Ben Smith at the Children's Hospital, Westmead.
We were greeted at the hospital's entrance by a swarm of media eager to hear the player's opinions of the anticipated game. After coming together for photos we split up into groups to visit some of the wards.
Jessica and Stacey from the Sweet P's and Dom and I had the privilege of meeting some incredibly brave kids and getting to know their families. We posed for photos with the kids and shared a few laughs over a bit of team rivalry while handing out stickers to some future Bulldog members (we hope).
Seeing the smiles on the faces of these beautiful children and feeling the positivity throughout the wards, despite the difficult time they and their families are going through was an uplifting experience. The excitement the kids showed when we walked into their room was truly humbling.
The purpose of the Bandaged Bear Cup is to acknowledge the hard work and dedication shown by the doctors, nurses and administration staff at the children's hospital. It was an honor to meet some of these wonderfully caring people in an environment that can be at times overwhelming. We thank them for taking time out of their demanding schedule to make us feel so welcome.
On behalf of the Sapphires we are really looking forward to another great game between the Dogs and the Eels and hopefully we will bring the Bandaged Bear Cup home again.
See you at the game!
