The Frank Montagnese Foundation were proud to sponsor John Mantello and his team, The Sicilians, as they took part in the 2024 Variety Vic Bash earlier this year.
The Bash is a yearly event ran by Variety and is the longest-running charity motor event in the country.
Participants drive exotic and creatively themed cars through remote and regional areas, in order to raise funds to support children who are sick, living with a disability or come from a disadvantaged background.
The beauty of the trip, is that participants are able to have a front row seat to the impact of their fundraising, as they pass through local communities and schools, delivering the Variety Grants that provide the resources required for children in need.
This year’s route started on August 15 in Swan Hill in regional Victoria, and finished all the way up in North Queensland town Airlie Beach. The nine-day trip also took them through Bourke, which is situated in regional New South Wales.
The event requires participants to drive a vehicle that is over 30 years old and The Sicilians opted to drive a 1990 Ford Fairlane, which the group had worked on extensively to get it up to scratch for the event.
This included a higher suspension, upgraded brakes and fuel tank, fuel line and exhaust guards.
They also installed a large roof mounted speaker, which had – in their words – “appropriate music” blasting for their entire trip up north.
At the completion of the event, the group won the Dick Casey Memorial Award at the annual end of Bash awards.
All up, Variety raised a whopping $1,600,324 from this year’s Bash.
We are so pleased to be able to sponsor and partner with a group such as The Sicilians, whose participation in the event brings great awareness to Variety’s cause.
