Australia’s favourite healthier snack company, Vege Chips, has today announced its official support of the nation’s busiest wildlife hospital and fellow Gold Coast resident, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.
The partnership will not only include financial contributions from the company itself but will drive direct community awareness and donations by including the iconic hospital’s information across its multipack range, with the new branded packaging due to hit shelves over the coming weeks.
Vege Chip Company estimates that if just one in five customers were to donate a gold coin equivalent, the partnership will raise approximately $235,000 in critical funds towards saving Australia’s precious wildlife.
In its efforts to engage Australian households in saving the nation’s native animals, Vege Chips will launch a competition to name various baby wildlife animal patients across the year, with winners to have their names immortalised on the ‘Walkways for Wildlife’ path at the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.
As the current market leader in producing plant-based, gluten-free chips across the country, the sponsorship offers Currumbin Wildlife Hospital unprecedented levels of exposure for their cause, and will enable the critical work for wildlife conservation in the area to continue.
Vege Chips Managing Director Rob Crisfield believes the sponsorship will be a natural extension to the brand’s commitment to environmental conservation.
“We have been operating locally from our Currumbin factory since our inception more than 30 years ago, and we will continue to support local businesses, especially those who also have a passion and care for our beautiful environment and wildlife,” Mr Crisfield said.
“The Currumbin Wildlife Hospital provides a critical and life-saving service for animals and we are proud to support such an institution in the community.”
The Currumbin Wildlife Hospital opened its doors 32 years ago and has grown to be one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world, with 2020 the busiest year on record.
Admitting almost 14,000 animals in 2020, including almost 600 koalas in 2019, the hospital’s mission is to treat, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife.
While the services are provided free of charge to the community, the hospital relies on community donations to continue its vital work.
In fact, 70 percent of funding is dependent upon non-government resources relying on the generosity of the public and corporations.
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Senior Vet Dr Michael Pyne said there have been more than 140,000 admissions in the hospital over the last 20 years and there’s no signs of slowing down.
“The future of our native wildlife is at immense risk, so now is more important than ever to have the support of the community and organisations such as Vege Chips, so we can continue our mission to treat, rehabilitate and release native wildlife,” Dr Pyne said.
“It really is an honour to be working with Vege Chips. Our corporate partnership will provide fantastic national awareness and a financial contribution which will make an immediate difference, as we rely heavily on community donations to continue our vital work.
“Vege Chips’ commitment to wildlife will hopefully set an example for more Australian local companies to give back. We’re deeply grateful and applaud their efforts to use the success of a wonderful product to save our Australian wildlife.”
