Sun shines on hearts of gold

A series of ‘God-incidences’ has turned a Lutheran farming family’s surplus hay paddock and 30,000 sunflower seeds into a golden field of hope for children with congenital heart disease in South Australia.

That’s the belief of Freeling farmers Sherinne and Gavin Schuster – along with their sons Leighton (pictured with wife Kahlia and daughter Ava), Harrison and Corbin and their families – whose unconventional crop of sunflowers recently yielded more than $14,000 for the HeartKids SA charity. And, as the not-for-profit’s corporate sponsorship doubles donations during February, the money raised will grow to more than $25,000 from the first donation of $12,644.

The family property west of the Barossa Valley hosts a barn that the family – members of Light Lutheran congregation – hires out for functions. So, with the idea of a picturesque photographic backdrop in mind, the Schusters planted a hectare of sunflowers last November in a paddock usually used for hay.

When the speculative planting produced spectacular results in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day last month, Corbin had an idea – why not invite people to come along and pick a sunflower for a gold coin donation to help others?

Sherinne thought they might raise a few hundred dollars after Corbin posted the ‘sundraiser’ on Facebook and an artist painted a hay bale sign advertising it. About 50 cars arrived within two hours of the post and, within a week, more than $12,000 had been raised.

Along with donations being doubled and the sunflower currently being used around the world to show support for the people of Ukraine, Sherinne and Gavin say they’ve seen many ‘God-incidences’ through this experience. ‘They’re all around if you look for them’, Sherinne says. ‘The Lord is good. Everything we did just got better and better [because of God’s hand in it] and we’re just so thankful.’

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