WOW! What a start to the day when guests gathered for The Great Australian Sunny Sizzle Launch Breakfast by Interchange at the Zinc Function Centre, nestled behind Melbourne’s Federation Square. With a top line up of speakers sharing their inspirational stories, such as Katrina Webb one of our Paralympic Gold Medallists, musician and entertainer Thomas Glenn from the Glenn Family Band and guests including former paralympian Chris Alp. The energy in the room was amazing if not sizzling!

Guests at the breakfast supported the silent auction, and bids for some of the hot items on display, including six Heat Beads^® Entertainer BBQ’s and some fabulous BBQ recipe books by our very own favourite Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson, campaign Ambassador, helped raise funds for the great work of Interchange Victoria.

Interchange is a community organisation that provides flexible respite and social opportunities to young people with a disability, and their families. Each year Interchange runs an awareness campaign in the form of The Great Australian Sunny Sizzle. During the month of March people all over Australia get hold of a Sunny Sizzle pack from www.sunnysizzle.org.au and hold their own BBQ’s, to provide an opportunity to bring people together to share in great food, good company and real information about people with a disability.

The Heat Beads^® Company was proud to be involved for the second year as a supporter of the Sunny Sizzle. Heat Beads^® BBQ’s churned out sausages during lunch and dinner time where passers by were irresistibly drawn towards Federation Square by the aroma of char grill BBQ.

The Celebrity Sizzle Off hosted by Huey on the main stage at midday also attracted people to the delicious mouth-watering scent of salmon, lamb and chicken being grilled over Heat Beads^® Entertainer BBQ’s. Huey was joined by our guest chefs including Katrina Webb, Chris Alp, Mieke Buchan – Triple M, Cam Smith from the Triple R ‘Eat It’ program, Sam Braham – Paralympian and Mike Larkin from Channel 10 News in one big BBQ sizzle off. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd, this year it was the Sam and Cam duo with their Posh Lamb Souvlaki recipe, which narrowly beat Chris and Mieke’s Salmon Nicoise with Anchovy Mayo, followed closely by Katrina and Mike’s superb Warm Chicken Salad.

It was a brilliant day and a marvelous opportunity for people of all abilities to come together to learn, share and have fun. You can be part of Sunny Sizzle too, in your workplace, backyard or wherever. Just call 1300 300 436 or email enquiries@interchange.org.au for your FREE Sunny Sizzle pack and set the tongues wagging about disability. Talking is a great way to get people working towards making our community more inclusive and accessible for people of all abilities.