Tickets are on sale now for the 2010 Mothers Milk Bank Masquerade Ball. Please use the button below to make your order.

Per Person $200.00 Table of 10 $1,800.00

Queensland Theatre of Puppetry is a non-profit organisation donating one third of all ticket sales for the next show to the Mothers Milk Bank!

Bring your children and friends along to enjoy the story of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’.

Shows begin at 9:30am or 11am, Tues 29th June – Fri 2nd July and Tues 6th July – Fri 9th July. Tickets are only $5 per person.

Performances are held in the Gerda Pinter Pavilion on the southern end of Macintosh Island Park, Surfers Paradise. There are no bookings but plenty of parking and playgrounds so arrive early to avoid disappointment and bring a picnic to enjoy afterwards. Further information: www.qtop.org.au

The White Shirt day public appeal is urgent as the final payment of $50,000 for the pasteurisation machine is due at the end of February.
The Mothers Milk Bank is working to raise the $1,000,000 to be fully operational. When the funds are realised, the Mothers Milk Bank will provide hundreds of preterm babies with the human milk they need to stay healthy.

We ask all the wonderful men, dads and business leaders out there, to wear a “white shirt” on Friday February 26th to show their support and make a financial donation. Go to donate here www.bendigobank.com.au/foundation/mmb Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

The Mothers’ Milk Bank receives requests for milk from Dads whose partners have cancer and other medical conditions. Premature babies are at increased risk of complications if human milk is not there for them. Donor milk may save the life of a fragile preterm baby who is struggling on cow’s milk. There is a waiting list of babies in need and the bank’s ability to help these babies is reliant on sponsorship and donations. There is no government funding at this stage.

100 invited South East Queensland business leaders will join the Mothers Milk Bank sponsors Romolo Bos (Bosform) and Jonathon Grasso
(Proportional Property Investments) for a White Shirt lunch. Michael Searle, the Jet Star Titans, General Manager will be speaking
at the business leaders White lunch to be held on the Gold Coast on February 26th, in celebration of White Shirt day.

The Titans proudly sponsoring, the Mothers Milk Bank in 2010.

You may also sponsor the bank through advertising
on the Mothers Milk Bank website or donate by sending a cheque to P O Box 806, Banora Point,NSW 2486.
Every drop of milk and every $ counts. You can save a life.
Thank you from the Mothers Milk Bank team

The Mothers Milk Bank would like to offer our thanks to all our supporters in 2009. Internationally 2009 was recognised as the Centenary of Human Milk Banking and we celebrate re-joining those ranks. There have been many hurdles along the way but we are proud to announce that we are again providing human donor milk to babies in need, such as Diana Taylor’s triplets Oscar, Lawson and Avalon. Their journey has been celebrated in this article.

There have been two groups of people who were key to the Mothers Milk Bank re-opening in 2009. George Doniger, who with support of the Lions, the Gold Coast Jetstar Titans, IGA supermarkets and many others, cycled almost 2000km from Currumbin to Cairns and raised $30 000. There are some great photos available to view via our Facebook group events or media articles on this website . This money secured a two year tenancy on our new Community Mothers Milk Bank premises in Banora Point on the NSW/QLD border and we thank everyone who was able to play a part.

A second fundraiser for 2009 was held by the fabulous women of the Gold Coast Children’s Society. This event raised $40 000 with many thanks going to the the GCCS and all their generous sponsors, including Advice Solutions sponsored by the AMP Foundation. This money has been needed towards the payment for our human milk pasteuriser.

We have been so appreciative of the support of Dr Howard Chilton in organising our human milk pasteuriser and allowing the use over the last four years with minimum expense, but we need to reimburse the last remaining money outstanding on this vital equipment and have been given until Feb 2010 to do so.

2009 has also seen us secure the complete insurance coverage for providing human milk to human babies – a natural need, but one that is so uncommon in Australia that we have had to source our insurance internationally and pay accordingly. This is an ongoing expense that we need to fund but that should see in the future a lowering of the premiums for ourselves and other milk banks as human milk banking becomes more common.

We have been able to develop screening and pathology procedures that have reduced the processing cost of human donor milk from $30/ 100mL in 2007 to the current $5/ 100mL and are hoping that 2010 will see this reduced even further and allow the Mothers Milk Bank the financial stability and business model needed to expand.

During 2009 we have continued to hear government at federal and state levels support our intent but fail to provide the funding dollars needed to support the development of human milk banking in Australia. It is only through the generosity of supporters and volunteers like yourselves, giving gifts of money, human milk and/or time that enables us to provide this important community service to the most vulnerable in our community. The Mothers Milk Bank is a completely volunteer organisation and runs only on the generosity of our wonderful national community of support. It is saving lives and lowering the need (and expense) for ongoing medical care of the babies we are able to assist. We still envision developing a national network of Mothers Milk Banks and each success brings us closer to this aim.

Our first fundraiser for 2010 is already underway and we invite you all to participate. As previously mentioned, this will go toward the final payment of our human milk pasteuriser and guarantee the operation of the Mothers Milk Bank to supply human donor milk onward into the future. If you would like to participate, have your own ideas for fundraising or would like to make a tax deductable personal donation, please contact us.

Lisa Nielsen, mother of two, donor mum and long term volunteer, has made her 2010 new year’s resolution to donate her income for January to the Mothers Milk Bank! Lisa is an advisor for the Learning Ladder, selling educational books and games for children to adult We need your support to make the most of this offer – invite a few friends and have a Mothers Milk Bank book party at your home or workplace between now and the end of January. This can be anywhere across the country, online or in person. If you are local to the Mothers Milk Bank (Northern NSW to the Sunshine Coast QLD), Lisa can support your party with a display. If you live further away, she will assist you to run a catalogue or email party. Anyone who hosts a book party supporting the Mothers Milk Bank will receive free books as a thank you. This is a personal advisor offer from Lisa, so all party bookings and orders need to go directly to her to be registered toward the Mothers Milk Bank fundraiser: lisa@mothersmilkbank.com.au / 0439749408.

As 2009 comes to a close, please congratulate yourself on your part in supporting the Mothers Milk Bank and our achievements in providing this vital nourishment for our vulnerable babies. We send our best wishes to all the families around the country who have made contact and hope you will continue to support us in 2010 and spread the word about the importance of our service.

The Mothers Milk Bank is the beneficiary of this year’s GCCS event and the invitation is out – come along for a great night of fun on August 1st and make a difference to the lives of sick and premature babies. Tickets and more information are available on the www.gccs.org.au website.

The Gold Coast Children’s Society is an incorporated fundraising committee who raise money for special children in need on the Gold Coast.

They have been helping children for the last ten years through one major fundraising Cocktail Party each year.

All Committee Members are volunteers and with the generous support from Corporate Sponsors and prize givers, they are able to achieve great things for these very Special Children in need. They are a non profit organisation with all funds raised from the evening going directly to aid the children in need.

This year we are thrilled to announce the Gold Coast Children’s Society has chosen the MothersMilkBank as their beneficiary. The Cocktail Party will be held on Saturday the 1st of August 2009 in Broadbeach.  Visit the GCCS website for more information.

George Doniger is probably best known as Queenslands Top Rugby League caller during the 1970’s – when he and Mick Veivers presented The Match of the Day every Saturday and Sunday night. George himself was a First Grade and Representative Rugby League fullback with the Past Brothers Club in Brisbane in the early 1960’s.

George is also very well know in Surf Lifesaving Circles through his continued involvement with the North Kirra Surf Club – gaining his Bronze Medallion there in 1958 and Life Membership in 1969.

His interest in the Australian Breastfeeding Association – and in particular the Mothers Milk Bank is through his daughter Carrie Brandon. Carrie has three (3) children aged 13 – 11 and 9 – who were all born at John Flynn Hospital, Tugun. Carrie has been heavily involved with ABA from the birth of her first child in 1995.

George is also very well know and respected in business circles – both in Brisbane and the Gold Coast – being instrumental in starting the Wendys Ice Cream and Supercheap Auto chains of stores.

George has been the owner of the IGA Supermarket at Currumbin Fair for the past eight (8) years – the store being under the management of Carrie’s husband Roger Brandon.

George is a very fit sixty eight (68) year old – who continues to exercise most days through the disciplines of Swimming – Cycling – Kayaking and Walking. He has completed fifty (50) full distance (42.2km) Marathons and numerous Triathlons up to the Iron Man distance.

In 2007 George was a member of a Supporters Group during the grueling Tour de France – at that time he had the opportunity to ride the three (3) Big Mountains -Alpe D’Huez – Col du Tourmalet and Mont Ventoux – conquering them at age sixty seven (67) is on of his proudest achievements.

George is very proud and honored to be involved with this Mothers Milk Bank Charity Cycle – one of his favorite sayings is “to give and expect nothing in return – is on of life’s greatest joys”

George hopes that by giving his time to this Charity Cycle Ride – that the Mothers Milk Bank at Tugun will flourish – and that in time be accepted in Australia – thus helping to save many infant babies lives.

The Mothers Milk Bank community will join in celebration of the International Year of Milk Banking, as 2009 is the centenary of International Milk Banking.

The mothers’ milk bank centenary logo will be recognized in 2009 and there after the year Australia joined the international milk banking community.

Following success in the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, 10k run Jenny Jones, mothersmilkbank Lactation Consultant, is competing in the Bridge to Brisbane 10k Fun Run on September 7th 2008. to raise funds for the mothersmilkbank.

Please Support Jenny and help Australian babies have life saving human milk available to them.

Target: $10,000

make a donation here

email us with your support

Where: Sheraton Mirage, Main Beach, 3 course Gala Ball for 500 people

When: 7th June 2008

Who: Kind hearted companies donate $5,000 each

Click here for Corporate sponsorship proposal information.

For further information or to nominate your company as a sponsor please contact mothersmilkbank volunteers Renee Illes on 0410-600-308, or Melinda Parkinson on 0405-055-703

Full Table Ticket – $1000.00

Single Ticket – $125.00