Children's hospitals across Australia have been given a funding boost to deliver innovative and essential programs for sick kids thanks to the Coles Curing Homesickness appeal.
In just two weeks, Coles shoppers and team members have rallied in support of sick kids to raise more than $1 million for nine children's hospitals, foundations and paediatric services in Australia.
Funds raised will help Curing Homesickness hospital partners to implement and deliver important paediatric projects such as John Hunter Children's Hospitals' at-home sleep assessment trial for kids with sleeping disorders in NSW, Canberra Hospital Foundation's play therapy in palliative care program and SA's Women's & Children's Hospital Foundation's 'Cocoon Program' for medically vulnerable babies in foster care.
The funds from this year's appeal takes Coles' total contribution to Curing Homesickness to more than $6 million in four years, with money raised from donations cards, customer donations, store fundraising and sales of Mum's Sause pasta sauces and pizza sauce with 50c from every product sold year-round going to the cause.
Curing Homesickness General Manager Nicky Bowie said Curing Homesickness and their hospital beneficiaries were blown away with the support of Coles and its customers.
"Curing Homesickness and our hospital partners are incredibly grateful and thankful for the support shown and given by Coles and its customers over the past two weeks," she said.
"Funds raised will help make a real difference to the lives of sick children and their families across Australia and we can't thank Coles team members and customers enough for their support."
"We know that every cent raised will have a significant impact in communities right across Australia, be it to help buy virtual reality goggles in Caboolture or equipment and technology for children living with chronic health conditions in WA."
Coles Group General Manager Corporate & Indigenous Affairs Sally Fielke said Coles is extremely proud of its customers and team members who embraced this year's Curing Homesickness appeal.
"The success of this year's Coles Curing Homesickness appeal is just one example of how our customers and team members across Australia are continuing to take community fundraising and engagement to the next level," she said.
"We're particularly proud of how our team members have fully embraced the cause by visiting hospitals, donating toys, baking their own cakes for cake stalls and initiating conversations with customers on the important work of Curing Homesickness and their hospital partners."
"We are delighted to have raised over $1 million to help sick kids in hospitals across Australia over the past two weeks, however, our support doesn't stop here. Coles will continue to donate 50c from the sale of every Mum's Sause pasta and pizza sauce sold in our supermarkets to Curing Homesickness and its partners."
Coles stores across NSW led the charge with more than $490,000 raised for Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation and John Hunter Children's Hospital, with strong support also in Victoria ($211,000) for Monash Children's Hospital and Queensland ($169,000) for The Common Good.
Coles Eastgardens was the top fundraising store nationally with ACT's Coles Amaroo and South Australia's Coles Firle also making it into the top five of most generous customers and team members for Curing Homesickness.
Shoppers can continue to support the causes and initiatives of the Curing Homesickness hospital partner in their state1 by purchasing a Mum's Sause pasta or pizza sauce with 50c from every product sold year-round going to Curing Homesickness.
Summary of funds raised for Curing Homesickness projects by state
- In NSW2 more than $346,000 was raised to help Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation expand the virtualKIDS service at Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and over $144,000 was raised to help enable John Hunter Children's Hospital in Newcastle to pilot an at-home sleep assessment trial for kids with sleeping disorders in the Hunter, Mid North Coast and Northern NSW regions.
- In Victoria, more than $211,000 was raised to help Monash Children's Hospital further expand its Hospital at Home program that provides in-home and community-based nursing services for infants and children with ongoing, complex medical needs.
- Queensland shoppers raised nearly $170,000 for The Common Good to purchase vital equipment such as specialised infant warmer and incubator beds for the children's ward at The Prince Charles Hospital and the Children's Emergency Departments, and virtual reality goggles for Caboolture Hospital's Paediatrics Ward.
- More than $84,000 was raised in South Australia and the Northern Territory to help the Women's & Children's Hospital Foundation in SA to fund its 'Cocoon Program,' a dedicated clinic being run for babies under the age of 12 months who are both medically vulnerable and in foster care, or at risk of entering foster care. This program also supports children from the NT.
- In Western Australia, over $78,000 was raised for Perth Children's Hospital Foundation to help fund innovative therapy, equipment and technology for children living with physical disabilities and chronic health conditions.
- Nearly $30,000 was raised in the ACT to help the Canberra Hospital Foundation establish a Play Therapy in Palliative Care Program for children receiving palliative care as well as their siblings and families.
- The Royal Hobart Hospital Women's and Children's Services in Tasmania will receive over $18,000 to implement their 'Improving Procedures' project, a series of interactive stories and videos on preparing children for coming to hospital and what to expect when they get there.
