Maddi Wren’s ArtWalk creations raises almost $1200 for Westpac Rescue Helicopter

Port Macquarie’s Maddi Wren, a creative eight-year-old, has raised a bucket load of cash for charity by selling her artworks. Read the story behind her generosity.

Charity groups like the Westpac Rescue Helicopter offer critical care for those in need on the Mid North Coast and beyond and one young local girl who understands the importance of giving back to such organisations is Maddi Wren.

Born about two months premature at just 32 weeks, Maddi surprised her parents Jayne and Ash while they were in Fiji.

The Wrens found themselves stuck overseas, with urgent care needed for their new baby girl.

Port Macquarie opened their hearts and wallets, fundraising to support the family’s return home.

The family made their way back to the Mid North Coast, but disaster struck again just 27 days after Maddi was born when her dad Ash suddenly passed away.

Ash was well-known within the community as a keen Ironman participant and beloved teacher at St Columba Anglican School.

It came as a shock to all, with the 41-year-old’s passing rocking the community – but no one felt it more than Ash’s partner Jayne.

The young mum had no family in Port Macquarie to turn to, so again the generous local people dug deep to support Jayne and her new baby Maddi.

“Fundraising began to help me as I tried to get through my grief and establish a routine with my first baby,” Jayne told The Mid North Coast News.

“It was a pretty hard time, and I couldn’t have survived without that community support.

“So I’ve raised Maddi to understand the importance of giving back and being generous to the community that was there for us in our time of need.”

Artistically inclined, now-eight-year-old Maddi wanted to use her creative flair to help the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

She started small with an art sale fundraiser in her front yard this time last year, where interested buyers could take home one of Maddi’s original paintings or drawings.

The young creative collected $800 for the charity, and was inspired to make last year’s fundraiser an annual occurrence.

This year, Maddi was determined to beat her previous fundraising benchmark.

She and Jayne had a stall at the ArtWalk markets in Port Macquarie’s Town Square on Friday, where Maddi sold some of the pieces she’s been working on over the past 12 months.

“She’s been creating bit by bit, and did a lot of work while we were in lockdown since we weren’t able to go out,” Jayne said.

“She had a bit of creative streak then.”

Jayne said the local community rallied their support once again, with ArtWalk market planner Sarah Gale offering Maddi the stall for free given its fundraiser status.

After selling half of her creations at ArtWalk on Friday, Maddi set up another front lawn fundraiser at home on Monday.

With the two art sales over this year’s June long weekend, Maddi was able to raise $1194.40.

Her efforts will help those in need of urgent medical care, according to Westpac’s local fundraising representative Richard McGovern.

“It’s so important to have people like Maddi helping us,” he said.

“We’ve about 1.5 million people in our northern NSW region – from the central coast, right up to the QLD border, right out west – and Westpac has to raise $15 million a year to support our area.

“We normally fly an average of five mission to the Mid North Coast, and it can cost up to $12,000 per mission.”

“I’m just super proud of her,” mum Jayne said.

“She’s pretty tired after the big weekend, and it’s almost school holidays, but she’s really happy and excited about what she’s achieved.”