A GROUP of local mates are lending their handiwork skills to a good cause, restoring old vans to run in the Variety Bash later this year.

Children’s charity Variety has been running its annual bash, a week-long road trip to remote areas of the country, for 30 years now in South Australia.

The event raises money for sick kids or children with disability, as well providing a morale boost for ill children in remote areas with a visit from the parade of colourful cars, utes and vans.

It’s an event which has brought Munno Para West resident Damien Griffiths and his group of friends together to renovate some cars each year and raise money for a good cause.

Mr Griffiths and his team, who are all old friends from the Eastern Park Football Club, have been meeting several times a week at a shed in Evanston Gardens to restore two mobility vans for this year’s event in August.

He said knowing the positive outcomes money raised by the bash delivers makes the hard work renovating cars each year worth it.

“Not only are you getting a good trip out of it at the end, you’re also helping kids out along the way,” he said.

“The thing I love about Variety is knowing 100 per cent of the money raised goes to the kids and we see that. If someone drops a 20c piece into our tub it’s going straight to a child.

“I supported a young girl named Holly in Peterborough last year and I did a lot of background work to try and get her a grant off my own back.

“Seeing these kids and their families struggling, that’s why you are invested. It hits your heart.”

The group purchased one of the vans to be restored locally, while another was given to them for free after it had been sitting in a local man’s backyard.

This year, they decided to decorate the vans in the style of Hot Wheels toy cars, with the sides to be painted in brightly coloured flames and other patterns.

Mr Griffith said in addition to raising money, his group of mates all got a lot of satisfaction from putting their technical skills to work.

“This is all at our expense,” he said.

“We don’t take any money unless a sponsor comes on board and says ‘I love what you’re doing, we’re going to donate’.

“My favourite part is working on the car three days a week. It brings everyone together for some mateship.

“We’ve got a very big team of about 14 people, including people supporting us who aren’t going on the bash itself.”

The group have the expertise to cover much of the van rebuild, but are currently looking for people to help them with the car’s suspension, exhaust and brakes.

If you would like to assist Mr Griffiths and his team, you can email them on varietycarrace@outlook.com.