A FEW hours or a few dollars – whether you gave your time or your money, your contribution to the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s Christmas Wrap, will make a difference.
CEO Tony Williamson said for the first time in 2020, the Foundation had volunteers wrapping at three shopping centres – Cairns Central, DFO and Stockland Earlville.
“We also had EFTPOS machines this time around, which many people were keen to use if they didn’t have cash,” Mr Williamson said.
“We were absolutely blown away when we tallied up the funds to realise we’d raised $36,000, which was an incredible outcome,” he said.
Funds raised will go towards improving patient outcomes in Far North Queensland.
Previously, money from Christmas Wrap has gone towards supporting a women’s ultrasound, the cardiac catheter laboratory, surgical microscope, orthopaedic surgery equipment and the paediatric playground.
The Foundation has now raised more than $230,000 from Christmas Wrap since 2001 – it’s a Christmas institution for wrappers and donors.
“We’re increasingly finding many businesses are using it as a team-building exercise with their workplace, or it’s just the ‘thing’ they do every year to give back to the community,” he said.
Aside from the funds raised, the vital stats this year were impressive. One hundred and twenty-four volunteers worked 462 hours over 154 shifts at the three centres.
In addition, more than 7000m (enough to travel from Cairns Hospital to the Barron River) was used to wrap thousands of gifts, bringing joy to hundreds of people in Cairns on Christmas Morning.
Mr Williamson also paid tribute to CCW Cabinet Works for their support of our gift hut at Cairns Central, as well as Cairns Central, Stockland Cairns and DFO Cairns.
