In April 2022, I lost my brother Dan to suicide. It was the hardest thing that my family and I have ever faced and we still have lots of challenging days. In one of the last messages we received from Dan, he mentioned that he had tried to get help but there was no one available to talk to. Swan Hill doesn't have a 24 hour crisis centre and I know a lot of people are pushing for this but, in the meantime, we need to promote what is available in Swan Hill so, if you have a friend, work colleague or loved one in dire straits, you can help them get the help they need. So this is why Spark was created! On Sunday the 10th of September, 2023, we held our free Live music event at Riverside Park. It was an amazing day. All of the bands and volunteers donated their time. So far we have raised nearly $7500. We would love to get to the big $10,000. We have some wonderful donations left from some of our businesses so, we thought we would run an online auction. Who are we raising money for? All funds from this event will go to Headspace Swan Hill and Swan Hill District Health. Funds we raise for Swan Hill District Health will go towards putting members of our local community through the Mental Health First Aid Course for free. The Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention training program that empowers communities by equipping people with knowledge and confidence to recognise, connect and respond to someone experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. Rotary Club of Swan Hill will distribute the funds once we have a final total. To keep up to date with the amount we have raised, like our Spark Swan Hill facebook page. So it's the perfect time to do a little Christmas shopping, knowing that it will go to an important cause. Happy bidding, Bec