Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and the Good Friday Appeal raised AU$23.8m in funds for children in need. The funds will be used to support life-saving care for children across Victoria. The event marked the 11th year of collaboration between MCEC and the Good Friday Appeal. It included the Kids Day Out family event, plus the Phone Room and Money Counting Room hosted at MCEC.
Thousands of families attended Kids Day Out at MCEC. All proceeds from food sales were donated to the appeal. The venue’s chefs served 1,200 house-made ice creams and baked a 20-metre-long spread of hot cross buns – nearly 3,000 in total.
“The Good Friday Appeal event is really close to my heart and I love creating something special for the children every year,” said MCEC’s award-winning pastry chef, Alessandro Bartesaghi. “This year I really wanted to push the boundaries and try something we’ve never done before… the longest table of hot cross buns you’ve ever seen.”
All funds raised go to The Royal Children’s Hospital. The appeal also supports paediatric services at Barwon Health, Bendigo Health, Grampians Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Albury Wodonga Health and Latrobe Regional Health.
“For over 10 years MCEC has generously supported the Good Friday Appeal, providing the venue and services for our family fun event, Kids Day Out, the all important Phone Room and Money Counting Room,” said Rebecca Cowan, executive director of the Good Friday Appeal.
“We love opening our doors every year to welcome thousands of families to enjoy a day of fun and celebration, while raising much-needed funds for sick children across Victoria,” said MCEC CEO Natalie O’Brien AM. “It’s a truly rewarding experience and you can see how much joy this event brings to the local community and the MCEC team,” she added.
The MCEC-Good Friday Appeal partnership continues to grow as a key fixture in Victoria’s annual fundraising calendar.
