Coles supermarket customers have raised nearly $14,000 in just two weeks for the Canberra Hospital Foundation, helping to bring kids back from hospital sooner.
Believing that kids belong at home and hoping to prevent the anxiety and depression homesickness can cause, the funds raised locally for the Curing Homesickness initiative will help sick kids in Canberra.
According to the Curing Homesickness initiative, all money raised in the ACT will go towards innovative research, the latest equipment and therapy toys for the expansion of the Hospital in the Home program for children.
Between 28 April and 11 May, the donations were sourced from the sales of Coles Mum’s Sause (sic) pizza and pasta sauce, with 50 cents of every purchase given to the Canberra Hospital Foundation.
Canberra Hospital Foundation CEO Helen Falla said the Curing Homesickness initiative has already had a huge impact for sick kids in Canberra.
“Last year, funds raised through the Curing Homesickness campaign enabled us to purchase two Smileyscopes, a visor that immerses young patients in a virtual reality experience such as playing with kittens or exploring the sea,” Ms Falla said.
“The Smileyscopes have been a huge hit and a great assistance for the play therapist as it helps make treatment less distressing and fast tracks the treatment experience.”
She said thanks to the community’s support this year, more equipment and therapy toys will be purchased to expand the Hospital in the Home program for children in Canberra.
More than $1.1 million was raised nationally through donation cards and Coles customer donations while nearly 50,000 jars of pizza and pasta sauces from the Mum’s Sause range were sold across Australia during the campaign.
Coles state general manager, Ivan Slunjski, said breaking the $1 million national milestone this year has been a result of working together with stores, children’s hospitals and the community.
“We can’t thank our customers and team members enough for getting behind the Curing Homesickness cause once again. This year’s campaign has surpassed all our expectations with nearly $14,000 raised in the ACT,” he said.
“We’re so proud to continue our partnership with the Canberra Hospital Foundation to help get sick kids home from hospital sooner.”
Coles and its customers have now raised over $2.9 million for Curing Homesickness since 2019.
Coles shoppers can continue to support Curing Homesickness by buying Mum’s Sause sauces, with 50 cents from each product sold in the ACT supporting the Canberra Hospital Foundation.
For more information, visit www.curinghomesickness.org
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