Hospital foundation Wishlist has raised an enormous $330,500 in the largest one-day fundraiser in the charity’s 22-year history.
The Sunshine Coast and Gympie communities rallied around the not-for-profit Thursday 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 Thursday 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.
