Final dance rehearsals are underway for WA’s hottest night, with a dozen of Perth’s best firies busting a move ahead of its annual Perth Firefighter’s Calendar Launch next month.
The annual calendar — which is celebrating its 20th year — raises funds for the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, and is expected to reach a staggering $2.5 million milestone in support of kids with burn injuries over the last two decades.
This year’s launch will see the firefighters, each representing a calendar month, hit the stage at The Court Hotel on November 20 with a lineup of sizzling group dances, as well as an individual dance break.
The calendars will be handed out on the night and available for public purchase the following day.
Perth Fire Station’s Adam Manera admitted he hadn’t been onstage since his Year Six assembly, but said he had been practicing his dance moves at home with his own kids.
“In my case, I don’t think practice will make perfect, but I think we’ll get near enough, and if we’re not, I’ll be hidden at the back anyway,” he said.
He said the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation was a cause close to home after his son underheart surgery when he was just six-months-old.
“Experiencing that firsthand and being in a position to give back to the community, (including) the staff at PCH, is just wonderful,” he said.
“The kids in there are the bravest people in the world, so to be able to give back to that means a lot to me.”
Among the kids admitted to Perth Children’s Hospital with burn injuries is 11-year-old Juliana Gravina who was rushed to hospital following a freak hot water bottle accident in September last year.
“When (the hot water bottle) burst, I didn’t realise it, I just screamed. Something in my body told me to, so I just screamed as loud as I could until my parents came,” she said.
“I can’t really remember ... I wasn’t feeling anything really, it just felt really hot.”
Juliana’s mum, Veridiana Gravina, said the burns were so bad the clothes were sticking to her young daughter’s stomach.
“It wasn’t any easy thing ... it’s quite horrific, but to be honest, I didn’t know the extent of the injury until a lot later,” she said.
“The pain wasn’t going away, she was fainting, she was almost passing out. I called the hospital, and the burn was ... the size of an A4 piece of paper, they said you must come to the hospital.”
Ms Gravina said her daughter was admitted to hospital for about a week, with appointments continuing every few months.
She described the experience as “life-changing”, and encouraged people to donate in a bid to support kids with burns.
“You don’t value these things until your child needs it. It’s not as though you don’t think about it, you don’t know what services are available or the quality of the service you’re entitled to,” she said.
“This was life-changing, the technology that is put (there) to develop better systems and processes and everything, it was incredible.
“For us to be here today and speak about the importance of all that, it’s really important to us, and it became part of our lives, so we really encourage people to donate and to think about how that can change someone’s life as it has changed ours.”
Maddington Fire Station’s Matthew Dessauvagie joked all the firies had “two left feet”, but said he was looking forward to celebrating a fun night with mates.
“I’ve got to step out of my comfort zone, but it’s good,” he said,
“I’ve got a lot of family and friends and mates from the shifts that’ll be coming, so I’ve got to fly the flag for them as well and just have fun while I’m doing it.”
Tickets for the 2027 Perth Firefighter’s Calendar Launch can be purchased here.