On Saturday, September 10, the inaugural Kiss from a Rose Charity Ball was held at Singleton Rugby Club thanks to the hard work and passion of Brooke Williams and Danielle Carey.

260 people attended the event which raised an incredible $46,500 for Bears of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support. Bears of Hope is a not-for-profit charity providing leading support, advice, information and care for families who experience the loss of their baby.

The event was organised by Brooke and Danielle, two inspiring women who experienced the loss of their babies and are now passionate about helping other families through their losses. Joining them at the event was Toni Watson, Co-Founder of Bears of Hope. Toni shared the bond that has brought these three women together.

“I met Brooke 7 years ago and Danielle just last year over a cuppa. We are three Mums who have connected through our love for the babies we have lost. Our shared passion is to help others and provide a space to reduce the isolation that is often associated with baby loss. I am in admiration of Danielle’s and Brooke’s strength and their drive in wanting to make a difference. A light of hope still burning amongst the grief, that I saw in myself, many years ago.”

Brooke has been supporting and raising money for Bears of Hope since the tragic loss of her two babies due to early miscarriage in 2015. Danielle’s daughter Rose was born sleeping in 2020 and the event is in honour of her, and all the babies who are no longer with us today due to miscarriage, stillbirth, pregnancy or infant loss.

The loss of a baby is experienced by 1 in 4 families. Most people will know someone who has experienced this loss. At the event, a tribute was held for the losses experienced by those in attendance. In a room of 280 people, 28 names were displayed of babies lost. Danielle explained that those were only the names of those families who wished to share, as many prefer to keep their loss private.

“This shows why this charity is so important. We hope to raise awareness and show people that they don’t have to go through this alone. The money raised was so much more than we expected and we are thrilled as we know Toni will put it to good use, but the awareness and education that events like these bring is priceless,” said Danielle.

Danielle and Brooke were both overwhelmed by the support they received from the community for the first of what they plan to be a bi-annual event.

“There’s so many sponsors we need to thank for helping us to achieve this amazing goal which is so much more than we hoped for,” said Brooke. “Our major sponsor Titan Group and other sponsors Black Creek Automotive, Hedweld Engineering, AC Whalan, MRM Solutions, Pirtek Hunter Valley and my employer The Bloomfield Group. I also would like to thank Singleton Rugby Club who donated the venue, Michelle Bryant from Shelley B for the photography and Singleton Ink Spot for all our printing.

“It would be impossible to list everyone but we thank all who supported us, from monetary donations, to the raffle and auction items donated by local companies and everyone who attended.”