Baby Face

ATTENTION: All doting parents - have you submitted those precious snaps of your little ray of sunshine to our second annual Best Baby and Toddler Moment competition?

If you're at a loss when it comes to selecting which photo to send, why not heed the advice of newly appointed ambassador and judge of the competition, TV personality Sophie Falkiner - candid shots often make the best photographs.

"My top tip for parents is to have their camera ready for those unexpected situations that make a perfect picture," the doting mum-of-two suggests to would-be entrants.

“The competition is open for recent images of newborns to three year olds, and I can’t wait to see all those beaming faces when it comes time to judge the winner."

With the winning entrant receiving a whopping $10,000 Commonwealth Bank Education Savings Plan, and the winner and runners up receiving a copy of The Happy Baby Cookbook, Healthy Babies: food for healthy babies and toddlers, as well as a Harvey Norman PhotoCentre canvas art of their photographs - what are you waiting for?

You have until March 18th, 2011 to submit your best moment. Get snapping!
http://www.harveynormanphotos.com.au/

Doing it FORE! the Kids

Last Sunday, some of Harvey Norman's star golfers tee'd off to raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation - a fantastic charity which brightens the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children.

The annual Harvey Norman golf day kicked off with a hearty sausage sizzle - to nourish the athletes, of course - and then everyone got down to business with an Ambrose event, in which 29 teams were involved.

While Harvey Norman, Busselton's Daniel Sharman laughingly commented that "Golf was the winner on the day," the real winner was Starlight for whom more than $1200 was raised.

A Community with Heart

In the wake of the tragedy and heartbreak brought about by the Queensland floods, we are hearing countless heart-warming stories of communities banding together in support of their fellow Australians in need.

One town which shows that the community – indeed the Aussie - spirit is alive and kicking is the big-hearted township of Parkes, NSW, where locals and businesses are enthusiastically doing their bit for QLD's flood victims.

Staff at Harvey Norman, Parkes have reported overwhelming support for their recent sausage sizzle and raffle, held to raise money for flood victims. While local businesses joined forces with Harvey Norman to donate prizes for the raffle, individuals also played their part - with one kind-hearted soul simply walking into the store and handing over a cheque for $900!

The local Woolworths also raised money and crowds by hosting a market day complete with face painting, a chocolate wheel and sausage sizzle.

A Christmas Wish

Harvey Norman Liverpool recently played the role of Santa for a very ill little boy who had a simple Christmas wish.

On being diagnosed with a brain tumour last October, seven-year-old Alan Ryan was rushed to Westmead Children’s Hospital - for specialist surgery - by a Telstra Child Flight helicopter.

Following surgery, and against all odds, the Bathurst boy showed his fighting spirit and is now staying at Westmead's Ronald McDonald House.
When Telstra Child Flight staff heard that a Nintendo DSi was at the top of Alan's Christmas wish list, they approached Harvey Norman's Rodney El Hindi who readily donated the gaming machine as well as a Scribblenauts game.

Needless to say, Alan was thrilled with his new game!

“Alan hasn’t stopped playing with his new toy, which is the envy of his siblings," commented Telstra Child Flight’s fundraising and event co-ordinator Teri White. "Telstra Child Flight thanks Harvey Norman Liverpool for helping to make a sick little boy a little happier at Christmas.”

Helping Our Mates In Need

Myer, Harvey Norman, Harvey Norman Franchisees & Suppliers gave a helping hand at the Premier's Flood Appeal - at the Mates in Need Fundraiser, held last night at Tedder Ave - with a donation of a minimum $750,000.


Harvey Norman's Managing Director, Katie Page, commented: "Like everyone, we have been desperate to help as the floods have taken hold in the towns and suburbs of Queensland. Myer stores and Harvey Norman franchises employ over 4,000 people in Queensland - that's 4,000 families that are either directly or indirectly impacted by the floods.

The clean-up and the healing have only just begun, so we know that first and foremost what will help the flood victims is cash.

As of this afternoon we have raised a minimum of three quarters of a million dollars and the money will keep coming over the course of the Tedder Ave fundraiser tonight with all money raised going to the Premier's Flood Appeal."

Bernie Brookes, Myer Chief Executive Officer, added: “This disaster still unfolding in Queensland is something we will never forget. Many of our customers are distressed and suffering significant hardship and over 20 of our team members have lost their homes.

Part of our efforts will also go towards helping re-establish the households of our impacted team members as quickly as possible.

We hope that the contributions of Myer and Harvey Norman along with our customers, team members and suppliers will go some way to helping those impacted by the devastating floods.”

The Kindness of Strangers

After having his laptop stolen last year, a 15-year-old male student of Lithgow High School's special education unit recently received a very welcome gift from an unexpected source. On reading of the teenager's plight in the local newspaper, Harvey Norman Lithgow's Jason Hines demonstrated that the community spirit is alive and well, by giving the boy a brand new laptop computer.
Nice one, Jason! Who says happy endings are only in fairy tales?

The Long and The Short Of It

ATTENTION: Rugby league fans! The much anticipated 64-player shortlist revealing the possible candidates for coach Wayne Bennett's team - to play in the 2011 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match - has been announced!

Now that Stage One of the selection process is complete, the voting process will be much tougher with fans having to vote for only one player from each club.

“You only have to look at the players who missed out to realise just how competitive the voting process is, " commented NRL Chief Executive, David Gallop.

Don't miss out on making YOUR selection! Stage Two voting opens at Midday AEDT (11:00am Queensland time) January 3rd at www.nrl.com/allstars and closes January 27th.

With results of Stage One finalised, the top 5 voted players are as follows:
1. Nathan Hindmarsh - Parramatta Eels

2. Josh Dugan - Canberra Raiders
3. Sam Burgess* - South Sydney Rabbitohs
4. Todd Carney - Sydney Roosters
5. Jarryd Hayne - Parramatta Eels
* Sam Burgess has been withdrawn from voting due to injury.

To view the complete 64 player shortlist, head to nrl shortlist