Bayside dads’ cricket match to aid Sandringham Primary School rebuild

A group of school dads will battle it out in a charity cricket match to raise money for Sandringham Primary School after it was gutted by fire. And one lucky attendee will get their hands on a bat signed by the Australian and Indian teams.

Brody, 8, and Sienna, 11, with dad Graham Widger and Nick Waterhouse with his children Leonard, 8, and Matilda, 6, with the bat signed by the Indian and Australian teams. Picture: Penny Stephens

Cricket-loving dads from two Bayside schools are teaming up for a friendly grudge match to raise money for fire-ravaged Sandringham Primary.

Fire tore through the 165-year-old Bamfield St school about 4am last Saturday morning, gutting several buildings.

The damage may be so severe that a new school needs to be rebuilt.

Students, teachers and parents at Sandringham Secondary College and Sandringham East Primary have wrapped their arms around displaced students.

Now, fathers from Sandringham and Sandringham East primary schools are holding a community fun day to raise money to rebuild the school.

Organiser Graham Widger said the event, to be held at R G Chisholm Reserve on February 16, would be a fun time for the whole family.

“There’ll be food trucks, fairy floss, a barbecue and plenty of rides for the kids like slides, teacups and a dunking tank,” he said.

“Plus you can have fun watching some dads who believe they can play cricket (but probably can’t) make a fool of themselves.”

Mr Widger, who has two children at Sandringham East Primary, said news of the fire had devastated the whole community.

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“We held a dads’ cricket match last year, which was really well attended and we were gearing up to do it again this year when we got the news so we decided to turn it into a fundraiser,” he said.

“The contributions and support has been incredible — It’s been a solid display of community resilience.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support but the reality is, we’re not surprised, this is a truly wonderful community.”

A silent auction will also be held as part of the event, with a huge array of prizes up for grabs, including a cricket bat signed by the Australian and Indian teams.

The entertainment kicks off at 11am at R G Chisholm Reserve, Sandringham East.