Day 44. Forbes is the Best Town on Earth

Today I've felt better, but when I found out what everyone in Forbes did yesterday, I can't believe it. For anyone not from Forbes who reads my blog, you will probably want to move there. I cannot wait to get home! Dad and the girls got back to Sydney today, and showed me all about yesterday at Forbes Rugby Club.

The Forbes Rugby Club are called the Platypii. My Mum and Dad have been involved with the club since 1982. Mum and Dad have lots of great friends in the Rugby Club.

When the Rugby Club heard about my leukaemia, they had a meeting and they all decided they wanted to do something to help me. The President of the Club is Andrew Hubbard, but we call him "Hubbo". Hubbo asked Dad what the club could do to help me. Dad told Hubbo that I liked riding a trike around at Westmead because it helped my mobility, and gave me exercise, which was especially important after the lung operation I had. Dad told Hubbo that The Childrens Hospital at Westmead only had one trike for the whole hospital, and there were lots of kids who would like to use it. Hubbo told Dad that the Rugby Club would like to raise money to help me get a trike, that I can use while I'm getting better, and after I'm better, I can leave at the hospital for other kids to use. This was the beginning of what has culminated in Eliza's Day, 18th April, 2009.

Before long, a committee was formed, and Elizas Day was going to become a reality. Jacki Milton is an old friend of Mum and Dad's, and Dad told me she must have made this a special project especially for me. Dad told me that Jacki doesn't do anything by half. Soon there were lots of people on the job. More old friends of my parents put up there hands. Phil and Judy Prior (Phil is the first grade coach and used to play footy with Dad), Graham and Judy Ruge (Dad went to school with Rugey & Jude), Tracy Prior (Phil's sister and social secretary of the Rugby Club), Chris (Sprocket) Sweeney, Alison Uphill, and of course Hubbo, were all part of it.

I can't believe what everyone at Forbes has done, but I feel like the whole town is behind me, and willing me to get better. So many people donated things for the club to raffle or auction, to raise money for my cause, and so many people gave up their time to make it happen, and in time I'll find out who they all are, and I can thank them all personally.

The Forbes Rugby Club had special "Eliza's Day" socks made for the day. All the players bought there own socks, and this was how they contributed to the day. Dad told me that after first grade finished playing, they ran over to the side line and gave three cheers. "Hipipp, Eliza, Hippip Eliza, Hippip Eliza" and then went to have their showers. Thanks fellas, sorry you didn't win the footy, but you're all winners to me.

While the game was going, all the people I told you about at the top (and some others) were selling raffle tickets. Rugey was running a chocolate wheel. Kids were getting their faces painted. Anita Morrison was making fairy floss. My sister Kristen and her dance school were getting ready to dance. After the game, in the club house, the club ran an auction of things donated by some of the business around town, and some great stuff they got from other places. Norto (Andrew Norton-Knight), another old friend of my parents, got a Waratahs signed Rugby jumper. There was lots of stuff, and they decided to auction this. In Forbes, when you want ot have an auction, you get the best auctioneer in the business, another one of Dad's mates and old playing buddies, Randal Grayson. Dad reckons Randal could sell a fridge to an eskimo if he had to. Dorb (David Sly), yep another old footy mate, was MC. Even the boys from Bathurst Bulldogs bought a couple of the items. Then they told Phil, who told Dad, they were going back to Bathurst to auction them again, and raise more money. Thanks Doggies. I'll let you off for beating my boys this time.

Then, Hubbo came good with his threat to have his hair shaved if the target price was reached. It was, and Hubbo (courtesy of Hannah Dickens) cut off Hubbos hair. You don't look half bad Hubbo. All the other boys must have thought so, because they all stepped up to have their heads shaved, with Judy Prior charging them for the privelage, and Murray Fraser commentating and assisting. Best of all, Jacki sat down and had her hair cut off as well, and all this to raise money to help me get a trike, and to help me with my on going treatement.

I could go on and on and on, but I'll finish now by simply saying thankyou to everyone. Thankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou. I hope to be home soon.