FAMILY: Nathan Skewes in March last year with his wife Belinda, children William and Ashleigh and stepchildren Ryan and Baylee.
A FUN for Kids Day will be held in the Bridge Mall’s Specsavers store today to help raise funds for William and Ashleigh Skewes.
The children, aged four and two, were left orphaned when their father Nathan died suddenly last month, aged 31, and their mother Belinda passed away from cancer in June last year.
The pair are now being raised by both sets of grandparents.
The all-day fun day will include face painting, balloons and lucky dips, all for a gold coin donation.
Specsavers director Dean Binns said he would also donate a percentage of today’s takings to William and Ashleigh, as well as the staff already raising more than $200 through a “buy your lunch” program where they took turns cooking meals.
Specsavers staff member Allison Hill said both Nathan and Belinda had been clients of the store, and she had also attended school with Nathan.
“He was just such a lovely person and we wanted to do all we could to help out,” Ms Hill said.
“Nathan did all he could to help out others.
“He was just such a beautiful person.”
A movie night has also been organised for August 9 by family friend Sheree Birch.
It will be at the Regent Cinema to see the movie Campaign, with Ms Birch hoping to sell 600 tickets for the night.
Two fundraising accounts have been set up to help support the young pair, with Commonwealth Bank Sebastopol staff setting up the Nathan Skewes Family Fundraiser account and Nathan’s cousins establishing the Ashleigh and William Skewes Trust.
The Commonwealth Bank account number is 1029 2333 and the BSB is 063 870.
The fund is held at the Victorian Teachers Mutual Bank. The account number is 239910 and the BSB is 704191.
fiona.henderson@thecourier.com.au