Telethon 2025: Call centre was hot all weekend with community contributions hitting all-time high

As West Australians dig deep into their pockets to help make this year’s Telethon the “best ever”, money raised through donations from individual members of the community has soared to an all-time high.

Large checks from the greater city helped reach the largest total ever of $90.16 million, while another record was broken as families at home donated via call center and online.

More than 15 generous donations to the PerthNow Call Center were $10,000 or more; the two largest donations were valued at $30,000 each.

The number of donations from outside WA has also reached a record high and is increasingly evident from last year; interstate people were able to watch the 26-hour broadcast on 7flix or stream it on 7plus for the first time.

Donations also came from as far away as Hong Kong, Lithuania and India.

The celebrity power of the weekend also helped; There was a notable increase in the call center as stars, particularly Ronan Keating and Ben Cousins, received calls.

Many donors left heartwarming messages, including a former patient at Perth Children’s Hospital: “Thank you to the neurosurgeons who performed my brain surgery and to all the doctors and nurses at PCH who have cared for me this year.”

“You all helped me heal and I’m so grateful. Without you, I wouldn’t be here pursuing my dreams,” they said.

In addition to setting a new fundraising record, the Telethon broadcast was watched by more people than ever before across the country, reaching 1.242 million people.

Total TV viewers for the Telethon final were 246,000, up 37 percent from last year; The number of 7plus viewers increased by 111 percent compared to last year.

Total TV viewers across the broadcast increased by 24 percent compared to last year, while 7plus viewers saw a 102 percent increase.

Telethon chairman Richard Goyder said this year’s Telethon was the “best ever” and revealed donors even came down to donate bags of cash.

Mr Goyder said donations had increased over the past two years and that was “a lot”.

“It says that people trust Telethon, they trust where their money is going, and they know that every dollar they donate goes to an organization that supports our children and their families,” he said.

“We are building a culture of giving in this State, which is not easy to build, but I think Telethon builds that sense of community and people do it together.

“He came up to me yesterday with bags of money and cash and said, ‘Can you give this to the right person?’ There were people who said.

“This is amazing.”

Mr Goyder said the highlight of the weekend was watching Little Telethon Star Jordan Blair sing a stunning rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody alongside Australian Idol star Rob Mills.

He thanked the “telethon army” and said the fundraising show was a big part of WA’s DNA.

“I hope (Western Australians) are proud to be part of what I think is an incredible movement supporting children in Western Australia and their families who need it,” he said.

“One of the great strengths of Telethon is that it doesn’t matter whether you contribute $5, $50, $5000 or $5 million, it all goes to organizations that need help.

“We have the capacity in Western Australia to do incredible medical research that will make our children’s lives better than they otherwise would have been, especially what we highlighted over the weekend.”

While Mr Goyder said he had no expectations of breaking this year’s astounding record, he said: “You can’t bet against the Western Australian community.”

“With the support we have from government, companies and truly amazing philanthropists, there will be a huge number of people next year that will exceed this year’s total,” he said.

“What I do know is that next year’s Telethon will be just as amazing because of the support of the Telethon army in the State of Western Australia.”

Seven West Media chairman and Telethon trustee Kerry Stokes said the Telethon was “more than a fundraiser”

“This is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together as a community,” he said.

“It has changed the way everyone in this state sees disadvantaged people. This is more than just a charity, it’s the way the state sees itself,” he said.

“Telethon is a tradition that continues to inspire year after year and holds a special place in the hearts of all Western Australians.”

Seven West Media WA managing director and Telethon trustee Maryna Fewster said the Telethon was “a beautiful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together as a community and remains one of the greatest examples of community spirit anywhere in the world”.

Premier Roger Cook said the new record was a testament to “both the kindness of WA and the efforts of the entire Telethon team”.

“There are 90 million reasons why I am Australia’s proudest Prime Minister today,” he said.

“Western Australia’s reputation as a giving state has been showcased once again with another record broken at Telethon.

“Once again our generosity has been led by ordinary West Australians who have dug deep and given what they can, whether it’s $5 or $500, to help our most vulnerable sick children.”