At 1800 Auto Group, we’re big on cars, but we also love finding ways to use our business and our people to support great causes. That’s why we were so proud to see Doug and Stew from our 1800 Salvage brand take on their very first Variety Bash.
The Variety Bash is an iconic Australian motoring adventure that brings teams together to raise money for Variety – the Children’s Charity. The money raised helps provide practical support, equipment and opportunities for children who are sick, living with disability or experiencing disadvantage.
It’s a pretty special combination of cars, adventure, community and fundraising, and it was something we were more than happy to get behind.
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Hitting the Road for Variety
Doug and Stew’s Bash took them through some of the most remote parts of South Australia and Western Australia, covering thousands of kilometres along the way.
There was no shortage of things to see, from huge stretches of farmland and beautiful coastal scenery to Kalgoorlie’s famous Super Pit and other landmark stops. There were also plenty of laughs, new friendships and, as you’d probably expect from an adventure involving an 1984 Holden Commodore VK Vacationer and thousands of kilometres, a few mechanical dramas.
Learning What Variety Is All About
While the road trip itself was a huge part of the experience, what really stood out was getting to see the difference Variety makes for children and families.
During the Bash, Doug and Stew met a young girl with cerebral palsy who had received a specialised tricycle through Variety. The tricycle gave her the freedom to ride around her family farm and take part in community bike rides. Hearing her mum talk about what that opportunity meant for their family really brought home the impact of Variety’s work.
The team also visited a remote Indigenous Australian school where Variety had provided swags for students to use during sleepovers with other schools. With such huge distances between many remote communities, opportunities like these give children the chance to meet others, make friends and experience something different.
It was a great reminder that the money raised through events like the Bash goes towards real, practical support that can make a big difference in a child’s everyday life.
A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors
We couldn’t have supported 1800 Salvage’s Variety Bash adventure without the generosity of the businesses and people who got behind the team.
Together, 1800 Auto Group, 1800 Salvage and our generous sponsors raised $16,528 for Variety, which we were incredibly proud of. Doug and Stew were also presented with a plaque recognising our team's fundraising efforts.
A huge thank you to our sponsors:
- Socks Off
- Pickles Auctions
- Manheim
- Cash Garage
- Panorama Financial Services
- Sheen Panel Service
- IAA
- Badger Cricket
- EngineRoom
- Motorweb
- Rec Xpress 24/7 Fitness
- Doncaster BMW
- Central Tech
- JBH Carsales
- Platman
- MRP Solutions
- Seaworthy
Your support helped turn a great road trip into something that makes a real difference.
A Ride We Won’t Forget
The scenery, the cars, the costumes, the themed stops, the mechanical fixes, the kilometres covered: all of these were incredible parts of the journey. But more than anything, it was the people that made the experience so memorable.
Everywhere Doug and Stew went, they commented on a real sense of community. Teams came together, and people expressed their excitement in many ways, working towards the same goal: raising money to support children and families who need it most.
We’re incredibly proud of Doug and Stew for taking on the challenge and representing us in our first Bash, and we’re ecstatic that 1800 Auto Group could play a part in supporting them along the way.
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Why We’re Proud to Support Variety
As a local business, we believe it’s our responsibility to look beyond our day-to-day work and support the communities and causes that matter to us. The Variety Bash gave us a great opportunity to do exactly that, in a style that represents us to a T. It brought together our love of the road trip with a cause that does genuinely life-changing work for children and families across the country.
Seeing the impact of Variety’s support firsthand made the trip even more meaningful, and showed us just how much can be achieved when businesses, communities and individuals come together.
A big congratulations again to Doug and Stew, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who helped make our first Variety Bash so memorable.
Want to find out more about Variety or how you can get involved?
You can learn more about the Variety Bash, the work Variety does and how you can support children and families across Australia.
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