Back to the Birdman!

We will be cheering on team Diadem on Sunday 10 March 2024 from 11am to 1pm in the Birdman Rally, Melbourne’s long-standing Moomba fundraiser.

This splashy event, held at Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra River, sees competitors dress in feathers and fancy dress and hurl themselves into murky waters, all in the name of a good cause. Diadem have once again nominated the Property Industry Foundation as their charity of choice. “This year will be our 8th year competing in the Moomba Birdman and the 5th year with the Foundation as our charity of choice,” says Diadem CEO Dominic Russo. “Last year we placed third as well as winning best costume, adding $2,500 in prize money to our tally.”

Diadem have set their sights on raising $10,000 to go towards Haven House South East Melbourne a Lighthouse Foundation home for their Young Women’s Freedom tailored care program. This is the first Australian safe refuge designed to meet the recovery needs of young women (15 – 25 years) escaping an early and/or forced marriage. “When we became aware of the purpose of Haven House South East Melbourne, we decided that this was a project which we could contribute to in a tangible way,” says Dominic.

Every year, Diadem aims to soar as far as possible in the hilarious Birdman Rally, looking to reach at least five metres or further. “It’s not just about the physical distance jumped, for every thousand dollars we raise, a metre is added to our overall distance,” says Dominic. “This year our theme is Back to the Future, with a Melbourne twist! Our craft is a modified iconic W class tram combined with the inner workings of a DeLorean car. Adrian Chan, our pilot, is the latest in a storied list of Diadem highflyers! Joined by his crew and celebrating some historic Melbourne icons, Adrian (aka Doc Brown) knows very well; ‘Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!'”