Telethon 2025: Corporate and political elite show extraordinary spirit to help Telethon reach record total

Australia’s corporate, political and philanthropic elite have opened their hearts and wallets to help telethon We reached another record fundraising total.

Billionaires, miners, philanthropists and other big corporations have joined forces with State and Federal governments to donate tens of millions of dollars to help WA’s sick and vulnerable children.

Premier Roger Cook announced a $14 million donation on behalf of the State Government, saying it was “an honor and a privilege” to take part in an event “unique to Western Australia”.

“As a government, we want to support Telethon and all the incredible things it does for our sick and disadvantaged children,” he said.

Announcing the Government of Albania’s $6 million donation, Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said he was “humbled” to be part of such an “extraordinary event”.

Mr Marles also spoke about his own “terrible” experience of a sick child being hospitalized and said he felt a “sense of gratitude” for fundraisers such as the Telethon.

“My wife, Rachel, and I have some experience with this, and I think it’s terrible to have a very sick child who needs acute care,” he said.

“This is a parent’s worst nightmare, it is completely consuming. “I think for parents in this situation it will inevitably be the darkest period they will ever face.

“But for us to have the care, treatment and assistance that our children’s hospitals provide in that moment is a blessing that our pediatric services provide and is completely transformational.

“You can’t help but feel grateful for the country we live in, and at the same time, when you look at an event like this, the support and the embrace from the community is such a blessing.”

Mr Marles said he was “extremely proud” to step into the shoes of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Telethon Ball on Saturday night, where he told the crowd it was “very humbling to be able to contribute this amount to the Telethon”.

The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, led by Elizabeth Perron, donated $10 million; That’s $2 million more than their contribution last year.

Other million-dollar partners included BHP, with a $5.5 million donation bringing the mining giant’s total support of Telethon over the past decade to over $50 million.

Tim Day, head of iron ore assets at BHP Western Australia, said the Telethon “shows us the best of WA – big hearts and huge generosity from across this State, bringing people together to do their best and do their bit to help children have a better future:.

“For decades, Telethon has brought our community together in remarkable ways—whether it’s kids donating their pocket money, grandparents giving back, or small businesses making big promises — everyone plays a role,” he said.

“We are truly proud that our support of Telethon over the years has helped children from across the state access the care and support they need to thrive.”

Rio Tinto Iron Ore CEO Matthew Holcz said the miner’s $5.5 million contribution will fund mental health, the area the company cares about most.

“This is a challenge for families across the state, particularly those in regional and remote areas where access to support may be difficult,” he said.

“And that’s something we really want to partner with and invest in. We’re really looking at a future where every child in WA can feel resilient and confident about their future too.”

Mineral Resources chief people officer Andrea Chapman announced a $2 million donation, bringing the company’s support of Telethon over the past decade to $16.5 million.

“At MinRes we are very proud to be long-term supporters of Telethon and to do our part because the WA community is so powerful when it comes together,” Ms Chapman said.

“I met so many families whose lives were changed through the Telethon and I saw first-hand the impact these amazing charities have on Western Australian families.”

Woodside donated $1.125 million to Telethon, and Julie Fallon, the company’s vice president of technology and energy development, said the multinational had not forgotten its Perth base.

“We’re a global company but we’re really proud to be headquartered in Perth, we’re proud to be Western Australian and supporting our host communities is really important to us,” he said.

Wesfarmers donated $1.7 million to the Wesfarmers Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Center at Perth Children’s Hospital, which chief executive Rob Scott said was a “world-class medical institute”.

Hancock Iron Ore donated $2.5 million, with sponsorship assistant Lauren Melville explaining that the Telethon was “close to the hearts of many of our employees.”

“Inspired by Ms. Gina Rinehart’s incredibly generous philanthropy, our staff makes monthly donations directly to Telethon from their pre-tax salaries, which is incredible,” he said.

Other major donors were Malcolm, Tonya and Carolyn McCusker, who donated $4 million, Chevron Australia, who donated $1.5 million, and the Minderoo Foundation, which donated $2 million.

Meanwhile, on Saturday night, major donors dug deep with generous donations, including billionaire James Packer, who called in and gifted $1 million to the Telethon Ball.

But it was clear during the auction that those in the room were willing to dig deeper than ever before.

When Margaret Watroba’s bid for a 1kg gold bar donated by Northern Star Resources reached a staggering $480,000, the mood in the room completely changed and set the bar for the rest of the evening.

The gold fever led Northern Star Resources to donate a second bar to Warburton Group founder Tim Roberts for $520,000.

This was the second generous donation from Mr Roberts, whose charity Warburton Giving donated $3 million.