Written by Bridget Pretty. Edited by Jamie O’Brien.
More than 150 people from across Western Australia attended the Gala for Life fundraiser for Pregnancy Assistance Bunbury on 29 January 2025 at Mount Lawley Golf Club with guests flying in from Kalgoorlie and driving up from Bunbury and Albany to attend.
The glamorous event drew a crowd from all areas of politics, society, and religion, including Perth Archbishop Emeritus Barry Hickey, representing Perth Greek Orthodox Bishop Elpidios, Fr Evangelos, Shadow Attorney General and Shadow Minister for Child Protection, the Hon Nick Goiran MLC and Australian Christian Party WA State Director, Maryka Groenewald.
Other special guests included Member for South-West Region, the Hon Ben Dawkins MLC, Deputy Mayor of South Perth, Bronwyn Waugh, Catholic and Greek Orthodox clergy; Protestant Pastors; members of Pregnancy Help Australia, the Australian Catholic Medical Association WA, and the Australian Christians Party.
Founded by Perth woman Bridget Pretty in 2015 with the aim of raising funds and awareness for pregnancy help centres around Australia, this year’s event was aimed, explained Mrs Pretty, at bringing into focus the work of Pregnancy Assistance Bunbury.
“St Pope John Paul II spoke about the need for a culture of life,” Mrs Pretty said.
“The Gala for Life is a direct response to this call. It is under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn,” she said.
“I’ve been hosting this event every two years since 2015 to raise funds and awareness of life-affirming pregnancy help centres – like Pregnancy Assistance Bunbury – which help women and girls eliminate the crisis not the pregnancy,” she said.
30 YEARS OF PREGNANCY ASSISTANCE IN PERTH & BUNBURY DIOCESES
In 1996, Archbishop Hickey founded Pregnancy Assistance Perth as an independent Catholic organisation to provide compassionate care, as well as emotional, practical, and informational support to women in need throughout their pregnancy and post birth.
So it was that, following the Archbishop Hickey’s lead, the Diocese of Bunbury with the support of Matthew Monisse, Peter Anderson (deceased), Jim Cummins, Brian Castieau, Mary Kavanagh and John Mazza, that Pregnancy Assistance Bunbury was founded in 1999 under the leadership of Mary Kavanagh.
Current Coordinator, Janet Mazza, and volunteer, Jan Batt, gave a convincing presentation about the life-changing impact their centre has on the pregnant women and girls who come for help.
“At Pregnancy Assistance Bunbury, we are baby-centric,” Mrs Mazza said.
“When I took on the role of coordinator five years ago, I set about creating a joyful, loving, positive and non-judgmental space, not just for pregnant women but also for families already with babies experiencing family and domestic violence, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and extreme financial hardship,” she said.
Pregnancy Assistance Bunbury is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 5pm.
From 2022 to 2024, the Centre has provided 750 women and girls with tangible pregnancy help each year, including 300 new clients each year.
Funds raised from the event will be dedicated to the purchase of new mother “starter kits” to equip those experience financial disadvantage with everything they need to leave the hospital – including a pram, car seat, bassinette and a baby bag filled with nappies, feeding cloths, and clothing.
Archbishop Emeritus Hickey becomes Patron of Gala for Life
Archbishop Emeritus Hickey stunned the audience when he took to the stage and announced that he would make a personal bequest of $25,000 to support the Gala for Life.
In his first act as Patron, he inaugurated the Archbishop Barry Hickey Memorial Scroll and chose to recognise Helen Sawyer for her lifetime commitment to upholding the sanctity and dignity of human life.
Mrs Sawyer is well known across Perth for her dedication to leading the Helper’s of God’s Precious Infants campaign, which involved public witness and prayer outside abortion clinics up until the Safe Access Zones legislation was introduced in 2021.
“Helen was a leader in this area,” said a longtime friend of Mrs Sawyer.
“A lot of people were inspired by her witness. When we started off, we thought if we save one baby, we would be happy. By God’s grace we had a lot more than one,” she said.