More than 600 Sunshine Coast revellers converged on the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for the never-to-be-repeated Grand Celebration on Saturday night.

The event attracted Ray Martin as MC, Australian of the Year Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, Police Minister Mark Ryan, as well as entertainers Lisa Hunt and ‘sametime’.

One ticketholder, Michelle Morrison (pictured below), won a 12-day all-inclusive holiday to Africa, thanks to Escape Travel Noosa and Adventure World.

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service staff member Tanya Kelly was drawn as the winner of $5000 cash, donated by BOQ Mooloolaba. She decided to gift the funds to Wishlist.

The mum-of-three said she purchased 4 tickets to go into the coveted draw.

“I’m one of the anaesthetists and I’m fortunate… I didn’t buy (the raffle tickets) to win, I wanted to buy the tickets to donate.”

BOQ Mooloolaba Owner Brenden Brial and his wife Carlie are long-time supporters of Wishlist.

"We like to contribute in any way we can to help improve the quality of health services on the Sunshine Coast," Mr Brial said.

"Tanya's donation was a fantastic gesture and when it was announced we were in a bit of disbelief to be honest.

"Wishlist is a truly local Sunshine Coast charity which all Coast residents will benefit from in some way, or undoubtedly at some point in the future."

Wishlist CEO Lisa Rowe said she was astounded by the generosity of the Sunshine Coast community.

“Saturday night was a very special milestone in the history of Wishlist and the Sunshine Coast,” Ms Rowe said.

“The Grand Celebration was 18 months in the making and wouldn’t have been possible without our major sponsors Exemplar Health and Stockland.”

Ms Rowe said the Grand Celebration was the largest single event the charity had presented since being established in 1998.

“In just a few weeks this state-of-the-art facility will open and we are very lucky we were able to host a social event to showcase this monumental local infrastructure project,” Ms Rowe added.

Queensland’s Health Minister Cameron Dick applauded Wishlist on the fundraising event.

“(Saturday night was) about more than celebrating a fantastic new hospital; it’s about celebrating the enormous contribution the people of the Sunshine Coast have made to Wishlist,” Mr Dick said.

“Wishlist has made an enormous difference to healthcare on the Sunshine Coast, just as I know the brand new Sunshine Coast University Hospital will also make an enormous difference.”

Australian personality and Gold Logie winner Ray Martin said: “I put my hand up quickly to be involved”.

“I have a house on the Sunshine Coast and spend quite a lot of time here.

“My wife or my kids could need the use of this hospital – as we all could – at any stage, so I was really happy to be involved in a fundraiser supporting the opening of the hospital.

“Wishlist is a fantastic charity on the Sunshine Coast, raising vital funds for medical research, service support, equipment and education.”

The Grand Celebration was sponsored by the Exemplar Health consortium which consists of Lendlease, Capella Capital, Siemens, First State Super and Spotless. Stockland is the platinum sponsor.

Keep up-to-date on the latest Wishlist events at www.wishlist.org.au.

 Wishlist is a not-for-profit organisation which directs funds to the needs of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.

Wishlist’s operational costs are covered by Nambour General Hospital’s multi-storey carpark so 100% of donations go directly to benefitting Sunshine Coast’s public patients.