Coles’ customers and team members have rallied behind seven Australian charities to raise more than AU$2.5 million to support medical research, health and wellbeing for children.
Funds raised in this year’s local fundraising drive will help charity partners to implement and deliver projects and services across Australia, such as paediatric brain cancer research, helping schools to create healthy kitchen gardens, and granting wishes to kids with critical illnesses.
Coles Group General Manager of Corporate and Indigenous Affairs Sally Fielke thanked Coles’ customers and team members for their generosity and support.
“Coles is delighted to have raised over $2.5 million to support our seven state charity partners,” said Fielke.
“Our team members and customers continue to exceed all expectations with their passion and generosity to support their local charity partners. In addition to purchasing merchandise and donation cards, customers have supported the causes through community BBQs, cake stalls, and quiz nights put on by our stores.”
Fielke said that Coles couldn’t thank its customers enough, and it knew the funds raised would make a huge difference in local communities right across Australia.
Western Australians led the charge with more than AU$792,000 raised for the Telethon, which currently supports 107 beneficiaries delivering life-changing programs, purchasing equipment and funding medical research into childhood diseases to help sick, vulnerable and disadvantaged children in WA.
In Queensland, shoppers raised over AU$765,000 for Hummingbird House, Queensland’s only children’s hospice and a home away from home for babies, children and young people living with life-limiting conditions. Funds raised will provide resources for the hospice, fund travel costs for regional families and assist families to make lasting memories with their children when they know their time together is short.
In NSW and the ACT, more than AU$492,000 was raised to support research, programs and initiatives by Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation and John Hunter Children’s Hospital, which aim to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
In Victoria, over AU$271,000 was raised for the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation to fund research and better patient care to improve the odds for kids with brain cancer - the number one disease killer of young people.
A shared total of more than AU$148,000 was raised across South Australia and the Northern Territory to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant wishes to kids with critical illnesses, and AU$98,000 was raised in Tasmania to help deliver pleasurable food education in Tassie schools through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation.
