Stillbirth Charity Still Aware forced to close fundraiser after theft

An SA charity has been forced to shut down a fundraiser that would have paid for research into stillbirth prevention.

Thieves have stolen from Still Aware.

Callous thieves have forced a South Australian charity to shut down a fundraiser that would have paid for research into stillbirth prevention.

Still Aware has been left thousands of dollars out of pocket after cash, keys and Royal Adelaide Show tickets were stolen from its fundraising carpark site at Wayville some time between 11.30pm on Friday night and 9am on Saturday.

Businesses around the showgrounds had donated their carpark sites to the non-for-profit organisation so it could hire out the spots to showgoers from Friday evening through Sunday.

Still Aware founder and chief executive officer Claire Foord said the charity had expected to raise about $6500 over the weekend.

However, Ms Foord said volunteers were shocked to discover on Saturday morning that their takings from the night before – about $1000 – had been stolen.

“It sounds like someone was watching our volunteer staff member and they were able to access a secure area,” she said.

“They stole cash, tickets to the Royal Show as well as office building keys.

“It’s really callous – theft by any means is repulsive, but they knew that they were stealing from a charity.”

Ms Foord said the charity decided to close down the fundraiser “because I just didn’t want the safety of our volunteers jeopardised”.

This meant the organisation was unable to raise the $6500 it needed to fund a research project that was to bring together several obstetricians from across Australia to look into stillbirths and the best way to communicate preventive measures to pregnant woman.

The initiative was expected to take place next month.

Ms Foord said the charity had set up a crowd-funding page in an effort to raise the much-needed cash for the project.

To donate, visit :chuffed.org/project/who-steals-from-a-charity?fbclid=IwAR0u8IVmkhrf8aU7tUMGXiZoTd4r3eZRAKOnkz0xsc2JVXTnnJKrau29yJI

Originally published as Stillbirth Charity Still Aware forced to close fundraiser after theft