Vinny’s Village, the family ab-crunching squad from Port Augusta, has raised $5626 for Redkite in the Crunch 4 Kids challenge, after the family childhood cancer support charity who helped five-month-old Vinny Falcione after he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in February.

Vinny is still undergoing gruelling chemotherapy treatment at the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital, but his family, including parents Sally Neidorfer and Michael Falcione, still found time to do their crunches to support other families facing cancer over the last 20 days.

“On most days, we crawled into bed just to realise we have forgotten and had to drag ourselves back out to do them.

“Vinny enjoyed the days he got to sit on us whilst we crunched. He found the whole process very entertaining.

“Our stomachs are feeling a bit sore, but its all been worthwhile to raise funds for other families facing cancer.

Redkite provides essential support such as free online, video and phone counselling, financial assistance to families, as well as funding music therapists and social workers in children’s cancer wards around the country.

“Redkite continue to support us, and many other families in South Australia with offers of financial assistance and counselling,” Michael said.

Over the last year, Redkite has supported approximately 150 South Australian families facing cancer and since the outbreak of the pandemic has seen a rise in demand for services. In April alone, the number of support sessions Redkite delivered across the country was 60% higher than the 2019 monthly average.

Redkite CEO, Monique Keighery thanked everyone on Vinny’s Village who crunched and raised funds for kids with cancer.

“I also really want to thank Vinny’s incredible mum and dad, who were so willing to pay it forward so early in their own little one’s cancer journey,” Ms Keighery said.