Last financial year, we were honoured to support some incredible community partners in their efforts to do extraordinary things.

From medical research and new health initiatives, to education and disaster relief, we’re proud to be able to work with organisations that make the community a better place.

We’re looking back at the achievements our partners made in the past 12 months. 

July

Mindil Markets finally received the green light to reopen after the much-loved markets were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through Golden Casket unclaimed prize money, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation received a much-needed boost of $300,000 to grow its child safety education programsand events, and to increase the support it can provide to victims of crime and families of missing persons.

August

Thanks to an earlier donation, the Mater Foundation began a world-first trial aimed at reducing fetal distress by using sildenafil, better known as Viagra. The trial will run over four years, in 16 Australian hospitals and involve 3,200 women in spontaneous or induced labour at term.

September

September marked International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. We profiled the incredible work of our partners - Zero Childhood Cancer Program, Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Childhood Cancer Association.

We also donated $500,000, from Golden Casket unclaimed prize money to the Children’s Brain Cancer Centre (CBCC), launched by the Children’s Hospital Foundation. CBCC is the only research centre in the country solely dedicated to improving survival and survivorship for children with brain cancer.

October

The Daniel Morcombe Foundation hosted Day for Daniel on Friday 30 October and celebrated more registrations than ever before. 

The My Room Telethon, proudly presented by The Lott, raised more than $2 million for kids with cancer and their families across Victoria.

November

The Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation received a $50,000 donation from SA Lotteries that will allow them to provide much-needed equipment and essential support services to South Australian families, and also fund life-saving research.

2020 marked our seventh consecutive year as a proud broadcast partner of the Nine Telethon, which saw $11.1 million raised for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, including a $1.6 million donation from Golden Casket.

We also donated $250,000 to Starlight Children’s Foundation that funded 38 Starlight Wishes for seriously ill children, again from Golden Casket unclaimed prize money.

December

After a year of uncertainty, the Gold Lotto City Hall Lights added extra Christmas cheer to the Brisbane CBD with its colourful light projections onto the iconic city hall building. 

Also bringing some much-needed cheer, the Channel 9 Light Up Xmas Appeal, made possible by The Lott, raised more than $4.5 million for sick children and their families across New South Wales.

January

We kick-started the new year, with a new charity partner - Very Special Kids. Our $100,000 donation allowed them to continue their work caring for children with life-threatening conditions by providing a children’s hospice and professional family support services.

February

Stars Foundation’s important work empowering young Indigenous women in the Northern Territory received a $100,000 boost for the second year running. This funding helped the Foundation improve health and education outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women.   

March

While UQ’s COVID-19 vaccine didn’t progress to its next phase of development, we learnt the unique technology it used holds promise for the development of future vaccines for a range of other illnesses.    

The Mater Foundation received a $500,000 donation from Golden Casket to support two research initiatives. The first project focuses on the possible link between neonatal sulphate deficiency and the risk of intellectual disabilities in preterm babies, while the other project works to reduce stillbirths.

April

In the lead up to the Northern Territory’s biggest annual sporting event, the Tatts Finke Desert Race, we committed to being the naming rights partner for another two years.  

We were lucky enough to surprise Bruce and Denise Morcombe with another $300,000 donation from Golden Casket unclaimed prize money, further supporting the Daniel Morcombe Foundation’s mission to keep kids safe.

May

Sadly, one Australian child dies every nine days from this brain cancer. To help change the forecast for kids diagnosed with disease, we donated $500,000 from Golden Casket unclaimed prize money to Children’s Brain Cancer Centre to aid its very important research. 

June

Rounding out the financial year, a donation of $500,000 was made to the University of Queensland to support two research projects with important health outcomes.

The first project focuses on using funnel web spider venom to improve stroke and heart attack recovery. The second progresses new technology that could pave the way for the next generation of vaccines. This donation came from Golden Casket unclaimed prize money.

We’re so thankful to all our partners for the incredible work they do for the community.