Wollert has been picked to house Victoria’s first Steve Waugh Foundation home.
Cricket legend Waugh was at AV Jennings’ Lyndarum development last Tuesday to officially launch The Renee II. It’s named in honour of foundation ambassador Renee Eliades, 21, who has a rare disease called geleophysic dysplasia, which hampers the development of bones in the body, often making them appear years younger.
The house will be auctioned and all funds raised will go to the foundation.
Waugh, whose outlook on life changed dramatically during a tour of India in the ’90s when he met Mother Teresa in Calcutta, says the foundation is his way of going into bat for sick kids.
The foundation provides portable oxygen tanks for Eliades 24 hours a day.
“When I retired, I wanted to start something back here for kids who have shown amazing courage and character,” Waugh says.
“The foundation has evolved to the point where we look after kids who are suffering from rare disease and rare illness.
“It’s not going to be a quick fix [for children with rare disease] so we want to stand beside them for the whole trip. It’s not about the numbers or the money we give or raise, it’s about the genuine outcomes we can have.
“We get to know the kids [like Renee] and their families on an individual basis.”
Known for his extreme mental toughness, the former Australian captain says he has carried his commitment to becoming the world’s number one batsman into the games of business and philanthropy.
“If you haven’t got the passion and the commitment for whatever project you’re doing, it’s not going to be successful,’’ Waugh says. “The things that made me successful in cricket you can transfer to business and philanthropy.”
Renee II’s sale, planned for early next year, is hoped to rival the first foundation home sold on the NSW central coast in February; it netted $420,000. The foundation has raised more than $6.5 million and helped 450-plus families in Australia.
