By Abbey Cannan
The Sunshine Coast community has rallied around their local hospital foundation Wishlist, helping the not-for-profit charity raise in excess of $240,674 last week.
Wishlist launched their first ever Wishlist Giving Day, a 12-hour virtual fundraising appeal to raise funds for Sunshine Coast and Gympie public hospitals.
Each year the Sunshine Coast Health Foundation directs more than $1 million to priority needs of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service including vital medical equipment, services to support patients, emergency accommodation, plus funding research and staff scholarships.
This year, due to COVID-19, Wishlist has been forced to cancel the majority of their fundraising events, resulting in a loss of around $750,000 in fundraising revenue, but the need for equipment and service support remains.
Wishlist CEO Lisa Rowe said the digital fundraising appeal was unlike any Wishlist had run before.
“With most of our community events cancelled this year, our fundraising team have had to pivot to create this new and exciting fundraising appeal,” she said.
“We initially started with a target of $140,000 which was matched by our very generous corporate matchers including Sunshine Toyota, Exemplar Health, your local Telstra stores, Project Urban and several other amazing local businesses.
“That target was reached just after 12.30pm so we went into a Bonus Round to $230,000.”
Ms Rowe said she was thrilled and overwhelmed 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 and even a late-night run around the hospital.
“The success of Wishlist Giving Day means we can continue our commitments including funding the local Clown Doctors service, yoga and music therapy, plus fund exciting new projects like the Family Room in the Paediatric Critical Care Unit to keep parents close to their critically ill child at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital,” she said.
Ms Rowe said the children missed the Clown Doctors service incredibly due to Covid-19.
“It is a priceless service and they’re back now so it’s great,” she said.
Ms Rowe said the pandemic had been tough on charities and businesses across the board.
“The challenge for us is we haven’t been able to run any of our fundraising events,” she said.
“We have ongoing commitments that we make each and every year and they’re not cheap. So we have to find a way to bring in that income we lost.
“Thankfully, our Wishlist Giving Day was our answer to that. It was about harnessing the goodwill and generosity of the Sunshine Coast community to donate online and to use the digital platform.”
Ms Rowe said she was delighted by the outcome.
“We’re just blown away. I’ve been doing this job now for 20 years and I continue to be amazing by how supportive this coast community is,” she said.
“On behalf of the staff, patients and our team, we appreciate your support.”
Wishlist is a not-for-profit charity. For more information, visit wishlist.org.au.
