At Easter in Melbourne, a group of single Mormons helped raise funds on an inner city street corner for the annual Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. In addition, this group prepared over 200 food packages for the charity, BlazeAid. They held their Sunday Easter Service at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. This was the first time that a Mormon service had been held in this venue.
The 100 single Church members, whose ages ranged from those in their mid-thirties, to one woman who was age 84, participated in an appeal in which hundreds of Victorian volunteers raised almost 17 million dollars. This will go towards equipment, research and education at the hospital.
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Almost 300,000 patients visit the Royal Children’s Hospital each year. These include young people from all over Australia. Levi McCormack from Sydney, whose life story was featured in an article on MormonNewsroom.org.au in March this year, had all of his open heart surgeries at the children’s hospital.
The food packs for BlazeAid were funded by Mormon congregations in the Melbourne area.
BlazeAid will distribute them to their volunteers who are providing assistance to families in the Richmond--Julia Creek—Hughenden region of Queensland who have been devastated by drought.
Mormon volunteers involved in the creation of the packs were wearing the traditional Helping Hands vests so often a part of Church service efforts around the world.
BlazeAid was formed by Kilmore farmers, Kevin and Rhonda Butler, following the help they personally received after the devastation of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria during February, 2009. The charity is now about much more than bushfire relief.
The organisation works with families and individuals in rural Australia after national disasters. BlazeAid volunteers come from all parts of the country.
The 100 single adults also met for their Sunday Easter Service at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, the first occasion Latter-day Saints have worshipped at this venue. The bowl is located on the lawns and gardens of King’s Domain on the fringe of Melbourne’s city centre.
The bowl has a strong connection to the celebration of the Saviour’s birth, in that it hosts the annual Christmas Eve ‘Carols by Candlelight’ which attracts thousands and is televised across Australia. Over time, millions of dollars have been raised during this event for the benefit of Australian vision-impaired charities and organisations.
The Myer Bowl was constructed in the 1950s by businessman and philanthropist, Sidney Myer, after he had attended the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
The single Mormons felt that Easter weekend, at a time when we remember Christ’s gifts to us, was an ideal time to render the types of service he gave to the poor and downtrodden.
The Latter-day Saint Single Adult program was established to meet the needs of those generally aged over 30 who have not been married or who have been widowed or divorced. With a growing population of singles, both within the Church and in the broader community, programs for those who are not in traditional marriage relationships are particularly important.
Members of the Mormon faith are committed to rendering Christian service to those in need. The Helping Hands vests they wear, as they do good deeds, are principally used with projects requiring manpower. The Church also has a vast international humanitarian program in which money is used to assist in times of disaster and other major needs.