Dame Edna on hand as Specsavers partners fundraise for charity

Specsavers store partners have donated much needed funds towards cancer-support charity CanTeen. The fundraising took place during the Awards for Excellence Dinner that rounded off the 2017 Partnership Seminar in Sydney in March.

At every Partnership Seminar, the store partners aim to raise $100,000 or more for a charitable cause via the Platinum Prize Draw that is held during the dinner. This year’s $100-per-ticket Draw offered a variety of prizes, including a personal suit and styling session with Jeff Banks at his London boutique (flights and accommodation included), a luxury three-night stay for two at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort with $500 spending money, and a $10,000 Local Area Marketing plan, among others.

In 2014, Specsavers store partners raised $100,000 for The Fred Hollows Foundation, and in 2015, they supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation by raising $121,500. This year, the Platinum Prize Draw’s fundraising focus was CanTeen, which helps young people cope with cancer by providing them with understanding and support.

During the dinner, store partners were cajoled to dig deep by MC Lisa Wilkinson, host of Channel 9’s breakfast TV show Today. They responded in style, donating a total of $125,400 in Prize Draw tickets, and in a star turn for the night, self-styled megastar Dame Edna Everage was on hand to present the cheque to CanTeen Australia and CanTeen NZ representatives.

In addition to their efforts at the Partnership Seminar, Specsavers’ store partners are continuously fundraising throughout the year via the Specsavers Community Program. Each customer is given a token that represents a donation when they purchase a pair of glasses. The customer then chooses to drop the token into a box for Specsavers’ national charity of choice, The Fred Hollows Foundation, or a second box that collects for the store’s local charity of choice.

Since the program’s launch in September 2013, Specsavers stores have raised more than $2.49 million for The Fred Hollows Foundation and local charities, including more than $2.18 million from Australian stores and almost $250,000 from NZ stores.