Hospital foundation Wishlist has
raised an enormous $330,500 – the largest one-day fundraiser in the
charity’s 23-year history.
The Sunshine Coast and Gympie
communities rallied around the not-for-profit yesterday during the 12-hour
Wishlist Giving Day appeal to raise funds for the region’s public hospitals.
Each year Wishlist directs more
than $1 million to priority needs of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health
Service including vital medical equipment, services to support patients,
hospital accommodation – including new project Wishlist Centre, plus funding
innovative research and staff scholarships.
Wishlist
CEO Lisa Rowe said the team set out from 6am yesterday to raise an ambitious
$300,000 and appealed to the community to ‘give a little, help a lot’.
“This annual appeal is such a
special fundraiser – it’s the only time where supporters can have their
donation doubled by our very generous local businesses and families – also
known as ‘matchers’,” Ms Rowe said.
“We had 18 matchers this year
including Sunshine Toyota, Harry & Margaret Reed,
Foam & Rubber Industries, Exemplar Health Care, Just Better Care Sunshine
Coast, Club Glass House, The McDowell Family, Telstra
Business Technology Centre, QuikCorp, Nestle, NCM Constructions, TKM Construction Group, Protector Aluminium,
Travis Schultz & Partners, Sunshine Coast Challenge Golf, Mode Design,
Rockwall Partners and Project Urban.
“We reached our ambitious
$300,000 target at 4.20pm and we were just totally overwhelmed – this is our
largest one-day fundraiser in the history of Wishlist.”
Ms Rowe said she was thrilled and
overcome by the generosity of the local community, all the volunteers ‘hitting
the phones’, and the number of health staff who fundraised through dressing up,
raffles, hosting plant stalls, and even a planking challenge.
“The success of Wishlist Giving
Day means we can purchase medical equipment like the specialised spinal bed
currently on our ‘Wish List’, and continue funding the local Clown Doctors
service, Calm Fairies and music therapy at Dove Palliative Care.
“We also have our exciting new
Wishlist Centre, plus research and scholarships to fund.
“So thank you to everyone who
gave yesterday. On behalf of the staff, patients and our team, we appreciate
your support.”
Wishlist is the Sunshine Coast’s
hospital foundation. For more information, visit wishlist.org.au.
