The Brighter Lives Townsville Hospital Foundation is celebrating 35 years of giving this year, with their annual Giving Day being held on 24 October 2024.
Brighter Lives Giving Day is an exciting 12-hour fundraising event where the local community is being asked to help raise funds to support patients, visitors, staff and projects across the Townsville Hospital and Health Service facilities.
As the official charity of the Townsville Hospital and Health Service, the Brighter Lives is 100% local with all funds raised supporting hospitals in North Queensland, including Townsville & Magnetic Island, Ingham, Palm Island, Burdekin, Charters Towers, Hughenden, Richmond, and Cardwell.
The Foundation is asking the local community to get behind Giving Day to continue to help brighten the hospital experience for patients in the future.
Townsville City Council will be colouring the city’s bridges and the Townsville sign blue and yellow, in honour of the Foundation’s colours. Queensland Country Bank Stadium will be lit up and St Patrick’s College will also be decorated in blue and yellow.
Doctors, nurses and health care workers have all signed up teams to support the charity that supports healthcare in NQ. And now the Foundation is calling on local businesses to be involved too.
“We’ve all been a patient or known a family member or friend who has been treated in one of our local public health facilities. We are asking the community to get behind Giving Day and help ensure we can brighten the hospital experience for North Queenslanders,” Stephanie Naunton, CEO Brighter Lives says.
“Businesses can get involved in any capacity they can. Whether it is a financial donation, or a fundraising activity involving their business, businesses of any size can get involved.
“It might be donating a percentage of sales made on Giving Day, asking staff or managers to do a dare or a physical challenge and ask for sponsorship from their customers, or any activity that helps raise funds for Giving Day.
“Schools can also be involved by hosting a free dress day for a gold coin donation or host a sausage sizzle.”
In 2023, Giving Day raised $57,721 for the local community with the refurbishment of the isolation courtyard at Townsville University Hospital for cancer patients being one of the projects funded.
The courtyard is used by patients who require isolation for weeks at a time during their treatment, giving them a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy or simply view if they are not well enough to use it.
The refurbishment of the courtyard includes new flooring, a shade cover, plants, and furniture, costing $57,000.
Townsville local, Glenda Worrall, principal real estate agent at Elite Properties, was a major donor in the fundraiser.
After having a personal experience at Townsville University Hospital, Glenda decided to donate to Brighter Lives to help create a beautiful outdoor space for those in isolation.
“It’s lovely that the patients now have this private space to have some time outside and enjoy nature,” says Glenda.
“Getting outside and spending time in the fresh air is very important when you’re diagnosed with an illness that puts you through a lot of treatment, and it’s great to have this refurbished space when they need isolation.”
Interested in your business getting involved for Brighter Lives Giving Day?
Businesses participating in Giving Day will receive recognition of their involvement such as:
- Assistance with marketing
- Logo included on promotional materials
- Activities promoted to supporters
- Communications and social media support
Businesses will also receive a business ‘team’ page on the fundraising platform with a unique link and provided with posters to use with QR codes linking to their page. The fundraising page will allow businesses to promote and track their donations for Giving Day.
To get involved with Giving Day, contact Stephanie Naunton, CEO, for a chat of how your business can be involved via 4433 7450 or
For more info on projects funded by Brighter Lives in 2024 – please click here.
Main image: Townsville University Hospital Children’s Ward 2023 Giving Day team.
Image credits: All images supplied by Brighter Lives.
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