Telethon mega bingo: Secret Harbour couple claim life-changing $40,000 windfall in record prize pool
Secret Harbor resident Craig Simmitt was visibly shaking and fighting back tears Saturday when he received a life-changing windfall that would eventually allow him to purchase an automatic car for his beloved wife, who suffered a devastating stroke a year ago.
The $40,000 prize awarded on day one of the Telethon’s Mega Bingo had Mr. Simmitt reaching across the table to hug and kiss his wife, with whom he wanted to share the magical moment.
“I’m so excited, so excited,” the 50-year-old father of five said.
“My wife had a stroke a year ago, this will help us a lot… I’m a little shaken.”
The couple travels hours to be in town every year for the event.
“We come every year, we always spend a weekend and stay in town because we’re from Secret Harbor,” Mr. Simmitt said.
He explained the deeply personal reason why the $40,000 prize meant so much to him.
“My wife had a stroke and lost her eye, so it’s probably a new car for her. She doesn’t like the owner’s manual anymore, it requires a lot of concentration with one eye,” he said.
For the Simmitt family, supporting Telethon is deeply personal.
Philanthropy has been a beacon of hope in their most difficult times.
“We have a daughter who had an abscess on her hip when she was four years old,” he said.
“One of our nephews had leukemia, another had Trisomy 18, and we lost him too.
“Telethon is great. We always support them, I couldn’t be happier.”
Immediately after their life-changing win, the couple immediately went to the bathroom to call their five children.
“They said we deserved it with everything that had happened in our lives,” Mr. Simmitt said.
Mr Simmitt was just one of 5,000 bingo enthusiasts who flocked to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Center on Saturday for day one of Telethon’s Mega Bingo.
Back in its 18th year, the much-loved fixture in Telethon’s annual event calendar brought with it a whopping $140,000 prize pool, including a record-breaking $40,000 jackpot to be won each day – believed to be the biggest prize ever offered at a live bingo event in the country.
From the dedicated players who have attended every event since the beginning, to the first-time attendees, the room was alive with the spirit of giving.
Some players even traveled from across the state and country to be a part of the action, while helping support WA’s sick and vulnerable children.
The generosity of the people of WA was on full display as over $100,000 was raised in the Telethon Mega Bingo draw on Saturday alone; this was the highest amount raised from the draw in the history of the event.
In addition to cash prizes, participants also had the chance to win a brand new car.
This year’s lucky winner of the 2026 GAC Emzoom Luxury Automatic valued at $26,990 is Susan Holtz.
For Ms. Holcz, the weekend turned out to be the perfect early birthday present.
“Actually, a friend and I were joking about (winning) the other day,” he said.
“But I’m still pretty stunned.”
The size and impact of the event was evident from Perth Children’s Hospital physician Dr. Put into perspective by Morven Dockery.
“It’s surprising to see how many people came here to support the Telethon,” Dr Dockery said. “It is truly amazing to see firsthand the impact this is having on families and children in the Western Australian region.”
The crowd was filled with stories of incredible devotion; None of them was none other than 38-year-old Travis Dames, who had traveled all the way from Melbourne just for the event.
Remarkably, Mr Dames spends a total of six hours in Perth to take part in Mega Bingo; This means he will spend less time in the air on WA soil than the total time he spent flying to Perth and Melbourne.
“I attended the opening and closing ceremony last October and I think the cause was amazing, so when the chance to be a part of it arises today, how can you say no?” Mr. Dames said.
“My family has children who have had some sort of illness or a troubled start in life, so do something like this and be a part of it, even if it’s just for a day.
“I think I’ve been here this afternoon for a total of six hours from landing to takeoff. It’s worth it, I’d do it every weekend if I could.”
Meanwhile, childhood friends Jody Nix and Sonja Cooper injected some rock and roll energy into the convention center by hosting a best-dressed contest with their gorgeous AC/DC-inspired outfits.
“We’re huge AC/DC fans. We follow them all over Australia. We actually started in Las Vegas and we’re going back to Las Vegas in five weeks,” they said.
But behind the leather and rock attitude was a deep-rooted desire to give back to the hospital that saved their own family.
“I’m actually a Heart Kids family, so we’re giving back to the things that you know WA has given us with our children,” Ms Cooper said.
“We’re childhood friends from birth. We’ve been watching Telethon since we were little, and now that we’re parents and we both have kids at PCH, we’re just paying it forward.”
Even though they are seasoned concert goers, they said finding a spot at the bingo tables was their toughest job yet.
“Oh my god, it was so crazy getting tickets. I mean, we’re fighting over tickets for Metallica, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, and this was the hardest one to get tickets for and it literally sold out online in minutes.”
For others, the day was a beautiful celebration of family.
One table represented three generations of West Australian women: grandmother, mother and a daughter who is now pregnant with the fourth generation.
Grandmother Morene Rowe said the event has become a sacred family tradition.
“We love the chance for all the family to get together and we all bring some food together, share it and come here early and chat and laugh,” Ms Rowe said.
The smiles continued throughout the afternoon as Sharni McDonald, 36, walked away $11,000 richer.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Ms McDonald said.
“This is my third Telethon Mega Bingo. I don’t know what I’ll spend it on yet, maybe a vacation or a casino.”
While the first day saw record crowds, historic draw pools and unforgettable moments of joy, the momentum towards the main event is officially increasing.
The 2026 Telethon Weekend will be held at the RAC Arena on 17 and 18 October.
This year the Telethon supports 147 children’s charities across the state.
