Hindmarsh’s Woden Green site donated $5000 to the Canberra Day Appeal from their on-site canteen. Staff with HAC CEO Genevieve Jacobs and Hindmarsh ACT construction manager David Colbetaldo. Photos: Genevieve Jacobs.
Canberra, you did it. You are a generous, warm-hearted city.
Today, the Canberra Day Appeal concludes, and we have 750,000 reasons to feel good about ourselves. 750,000 acts of generosity, 750,000 helping hands for people who are struggling in our own community. We’ve raised more than $750,000 for over 100 Canberra charities.
At Hands Across Canberra, we knew our goal was ambitious, and we hoped it would be possible.
But as anyone who has tried to help out a good cause knows, it’s unpredictable. Times are tough, the cost of living is high. Would Canberrans help out when there’s pressure on everyone?
Yes, was the answer. Yes, we’re here for each other. Yes, we will support our friends and neighbours.
And so we’ve hit our goal, delivering huge benefits for charities across the city.
The biggest single donation to the Appeal came from one of Canberra’s most generous and committed business people. Roger Tall of the Tall Foundation and Capital Chemist Foundation is driven by the same desire HAC has – to build a better community for us all.
When he decided to support the Canberra Day Appeal this year, he wanted to inspire other business people to step up for the city.
So did our longtime supporters, including the very generous people at Canberra Data Centre, Village Building Company and Bendigo Bank, and a group of new corporate supporters, among them Snedden Hall & Gallop, the ACT Property Council, Real Estate Institute ACT and Parker Coles Curtis.
They’re our first HAC Heroes. When charities raise money through the Appeal, we match it to $2500 to incentivise giving: funding from our Heroes makes that possible.
1000 runners competed in the Canberra Day fun run, delivering their registration fees to Hands Across Canberra.
But the Canberra Day Appeal is about everyone, and the last month has been full of wonderful moments. Every day, I watched donations of $10 and $20 come through, often with messages of very personal support for individual charities.
“I will never forget what you did for my daughter”, they read, or “You changed my family’s life for the better”, and simply “Thank you”.
Canberra Refugee Support, St John’s Care and Meridian topped the tally for the most individual donations. I suspect Helping ACT asked everyone they’ve ever met to give them a tenner.
One thousand people participated in the Canberra Day fun run in picture-perfect autumn conditions, The folks from Radio RPH brought a team of visually impaired runners, the Rise Above cancer support team wore purple capes – because they’re heroes, too.
The Chief Minister fired the starting gun, multiple politicians ran, 666 ABC broadcast live and Kristen and Nige from 106FM led the cheer squad.
Hands Across Canberra CEO Genevieve Jacobs and Kurrajong MLA Thomas Emerson at the Canberra Day fun run on March 10.
Thoroughbred Park invited us to the Festival of Speed and the Southern Cross Club hosted our launch event on the shores of the Lake. The Raiders let us rampage through their season-opening crowd, selling a record number of raffle tickets as our board chair, Greg Boorer, blew the Viking horn.
The media have been marvellous. Region, Southern Cross Austereo, 106FM, ABC 666, 2CC, WIN, The Canberra Weekly, The Canberra Times and Her Canberra have all gone above and beyond to help out.
So we did it together, Canberra. We raised funds, we raised awareness, and we’ll help make change where it’s needed most.
In a few months, you’ll see over $1 million in grants going out to the community from Hands Across Canberra, the Snow Foundation and the John James Foundation.
When you give, we can give back. Thanks, Canberra, you’re amazing.
Genevieve Jacobs is the CEO of Hands Across Canberra.
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