Maddie’s Month 2019

Flavorite Tomatoes and Top Melbourne Chefs Help Build Biobank for Maddie’s Vision

Raymond Capaldi from Wonder Pies and Sophie Cookes from Cookes Food have created their ‘flavorite’ recipe to inspire home cooking during Maddie’s Month this November. As part of Maddie’s Month, leading glasshouse fresh producer Flavorite is donating 10 cents to Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision for each specially marked pack of Cherry Burst and Cherry Vine Tomatoes sold exclusively through Coles Nationally.

For the fourth consecutive year, Flavorite aims to raise around $100,000 during “Maddie’s Month” to support the First National Aplastic Anaemia & Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes (BMFS) Biobank Project. Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision’s aim is to establish a world-class, Australian biobank. The biobank will be a critical repository of samples for Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes medical research.

Raymond Capaldi says, “The recipes designed for Maddie’s Month provide a delicious way to include the popular cherry-vine and loose cherry tomatoes from Flavorite and raise funds for the Biobank. We aim to create a recipe that kids will love and that is family friendly. By providing a tasty recipe, we hope to see even more reasons for kids to consume fresh tomatoes all around Australia during November”.

Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision was founded by the Riewoldt family in June 2015 following the tragic death of Maddie Riewoldt from bone marrow failure.

Nicky Long, CEO Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, says “The recipes from these Melbourne industry icons is the perfect way to raise awareness for Maddie’s Month. The ongoing support from Flavorite and Coles provides us with a commitment to help fund important research and ensure others don’t face what Maddie went through.”

“Maddie’s Vision has spent the last four years creating the building blocks for medical research into a devastating condition, one where half the young people don’t survive. We simply need to give more certainty to families”

Flavorite co-founder Mark Millis lost his battle to blood cancer in early 2019, so their family knows from personal experience how critical medical research is to finding better patient outcomes.

Mark’s son Chris Millis, said: “Bringing these popular chefs together to create an easy and delicious recipe with the sweet Flavorite tomatoes encourages families to consume a healthy fruit in different ways but also help supports the great cause by donating money towards much needed research. We are grateful for Coles to partner with us in supporting this great cause”.

Coles General Manager Fresh Produce, Brad Gorman, said Coles was delighted to team up with Flavorite for Maddie’s Month.

“Flavorite started supplying Coles 25 years ago and we applaud them for their ongoing dedication to supporting Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision. Coles’ customers can also show their support for this important cause by buying Flavorite’s specially-marked pack of Cherry Burst and Cherry Vine tomatoes during November” he said.

Currently BMFS patients have a narrow range of treatment options and an uncertain future. Current therapies are not well tolerated and patients, most often children, teens or young adults, and their families, live months of a very disruptive life; long hospital stays, followed by weekly hospital check-ups and managing side effects.