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Mr GREENE (Georges River) [4.38 p.m.]: Last Friday evening I was privileged to attend the Oatley West Public School's annual art and craft exhibition. This event is now in its twenty-second year and is more than a school art and craft function; it is indeed more akin to a community event. I congratulate the school on putting together another outstanding function, which was attended by an enormous crowd on its opening night last Friday. My wife, Frances, and I enjoyed the hospitality of the school community and when I arrived it was particularly pleasing to see the long line of people waiting to enter the exhibition.
That says a great deal about the effective promotion of the event and the great enthusiasm that exists not only among the school community but in the Oatley West community as a whole. I congratulate the principal, Graham Bromfield, on his efforts to maintain a great community atmosphere and environment in the school. I also commend enthusiastic members of the parents and citizens association, particularly the art and craft committee, on the work that is being done to ensure that the function goes so well each year. This is an amazing fundraiser for the school. I thank those sponsors who so generously gave donations in support of that event.
Featured artists this year were Freda Surgenor and Rachel Carroll. It was impressive to see the great diversity of work on display at that art and craft show, which undoubtedly added another dimension to the evening. This year the art and craft show was opened by Penny Carl, who represented the Starlight Children's Foundation of Australia, an organisation that was founded in 1988 by John Newcombe. The Starlight Children's Foundation, which does a number of amazing things for children, has established Starlight Express rooms at major hospitals. I am sure that the Parliamentary Secretary for Health would be able to comment on that. The foundation also has Starlight Express outreach vans which travel throughout regional and country areas and bring joy to the lives of children in hospital.
There are now five Starlight Express rooms. That number includes rooms at the New Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. I believe a sixth is to built at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, this year. The Starlight Children's Foundation also grants wishes to children who are suffering serious illnesses. Each year approximately 400 wishes are granted. To date over 3,200 wishes have been granted, each costing approximately $4,000. The foundation has a number of major fundraisers, one of which is Star Day, which will be held on 10 May this year. The annual tennis dinner and tennis day at Homebush each November is a popular and successful event. This year that event will be held on Sunday 24 November.
I congratulate the Starlight Children's Foundation and the groups that support that organisation on their efforts in assisting needy children. I thank members of the Oatley West community for their generosity as 50 per cent of the profits that were made from the children's workshop at the Oatley West art and craft show last weekend will go to the Starlight Children's Foundation—a decision taken by the school student representative council. That says a lot for the Oatley west community. Not only does it think of what it can do to improve its environment; it is also looking at fundraising to assist children in need. I congratulate that body on its achievements and on the success of the twenty-second annual Oatley west art and craft show.