Ogden family raise $5000 for Royal Children’s Hospital

This year, Bill and Katrina Ogden, with children William, Heath and Thomas, donated $5000, after their pen of 10 lambs sold at Bendigo late last month for $500 per head.

The price greatly exceeded the expectations of the family from Wanalta, leaving them overwhelmed with the support of the buying gallery and Elders livestock agents involved.

Ms Ogden said the charity is close to the family’s heart, after their middle son Heath, now 5, required the hospital’s services after being struck down with pneumonia when he was a baby.

“You don’t realise how much they do for you, until you come home with a healthy baby,” Ms Ogden said.

“We really appreciated all the hard work for us so my husband decided it is not that hard to fatten up some lambs and give back to them.”

This year’s total breaks records for the family’s charity donations, surpassing last year’s price of $350/head.

The pen of 10 was a part of 83 lambs the family auctioned off that day.

They wished to thank meat buyers Warrnambool’s Midfields and Melbourne’s Cedar Meats, who went “above and beyond” to support the charity pen.

“Most people know someone, or have had their own child at the hospital, so are happy to dig deep when it gets brought up,” she said.

She said they were expecting to make maybe $400/head, but to reach $500 was “overwhelming”.

“At the start of the auction, our stock agent Nigel Starick (Elders) told the crowd that the money raised would be going to the hospital, and it all just went from there,” she said.

The Ogden family also run a Shearing for Kids with Cancer Day, where last year they raised $27,000 for charity.

“Everyone in the shed donates their time, people donate stuff to auction, we run a raffle, it’s a great day,” she said.

Ms Ogden said anyone in a position to donate money to a charity close to their heart should, as it is incredibly rewarding to give back.