The Channel 7 Telethon Trust is a Perth fully registered charitable trust having a philosophy of financially supporting the social and medical welfare of young people and children and to supporting funding research into diseases affecting children.
From the time of the 1st Telethon in November 29 1968 on Channel 7, Telethon has gone on to raise in excess of $179 million and offered much needed financial help to a considerable number of children's hospitals, Western Australian charitable organisations and research/medical facilities.
The Trust is operating independently from Channel 7, having a Board of Trustees and a small sized team based at Channel 7's studios in the Perth Telethon Office.
Telethon is managing on a day to day basis as a result of the bigheartedness of Seven West Media that includes The West Australian and Channel Seven Perth. Both are offering the Trust with both intangible and tangible support via infrastructure facilities, professional advice and service.
The 26 hour Weekend live appeal is convened at the Convention & Exhibition Centre in Perth and this is televised live on both GWN7 and Channel 7 Perth across Regional Western Australian. The Telethon team energetically fundraises throughout the 12 months every year having an exciting and varied and projects schedule being supported by a variety of commercial partnerships.
The Telethon charity has been receiving long standing financial backing from leading companies in Western Australian like the JWH Group, which constructs the Telethon Metropolitan & Regional Homes every year via In-Vogue & Country Builders, Western Australia.
BankWest backs Telethon via its service centres facilitating the donations collection following the Telethon weekend plus actively sponsoring "The Telethon Diary". This is the weekly Channel 7 update keeping viewers updated about Telethon events.
The Convention & Exhibition Centre at Perth facilitates the Telethon bringing the excitement and fun to families in Perth through offering the venue for the TV broadcast, the Coles Kids’ Carnival and the Beneficiaries Expo. Perth Expo Hire, Clifton Perth and AV Partners offer a huge amount of facilities and infrastructure for the specific Telethon Weekend. Providing editorial support is the Sunday Times throughout the year, plus providing priceless support through hosting the Phone Room that is located across the Telethon Weekend yearly. Without this kind of support Telethon wouldn't be having anywhere for the over 1,200 volunteers to answer the many donation calls over the Telethon Weekend.
GWN7, the regional television partner is also broadcasting Telethon throughout the largest state in Australia, from Esperance in the South to the Kimberleys in the north. GWN7 also helps Telethon in local fundraising projects.
The History
The board of Channel 7 Perth in 1968 made a very deliberate decision of serving the community and established a running and continuous 20 hour broadcast program towards raising funds called "Telethon". The 1st appeal aired during the November 29, 1968 weekend raised $104,829 which was then quite a- considerable amount of money.
A charitable trust then got registered having an independent group of persons committed to the improvement of the lives of young people and children across Western Australia appointed as the Trustees. Their main responsibility would be deciding on where the monies were to be distributed every year within the limitations and guidelines that were outlined within the Telethon Trust Deed.
From those humble 1968 beginnings, Telethon has now been able to raise and distribute in excess of $179 million, offering much needed financial help to a considerable number of research/medical facilities, charitable organisations and children’s hospitals throughout Western Australia.
The Activities and Work
All through the year, Perth’s Channel 7 with The West Australian are partnering up with lots of leading organisations in many Perth towards holding several fundraising projects and events. Several of the iconic Telethon projects and events include Lexus Telethon Ball, The Telethon Home, Telethon Mega Bingo, The Asics Bridges Fun Run, Coles Kids Carnival, the Mix 94.5 Kids Appeal for Telethon, Mix 94.5’s Grand Mascot Race, Community Cinemas, the West Australian’s Click 2 Bid, Rottnest Island Authority and Telethon Tuesday’s with Rottnest Island and much more.
Ever since 2004, the 26 hour nonstop Telethon broadcast has been convened at the Convention & Exhibition Centre located in the center of the Perth City. 7 Network personalities together with leading Australian performers and musicians make their way into Perth, in the process donating their own time in taking part.
Over the passage of time global superstars from the film, television and music, industries also have joined in the Telethon the fun weekend flying into Perth. Telethon has played host to a number of the globe’s biggest, such as; Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jnr, Sir Elton John, Def Leppard, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick Jnr, Hugh Jackman and Julian Lennon.
Best musicians from Australia to have been part of the broadcast effort. Personalities such as Potbelleez, Amy Meredith, Daryl Braithwaite, Jimmy Barnes, Guy Sebastian, Marcia Hines, Jessica Mauboy, Tina Arena, Johnny Ruffo, Samantha Jade, Ian Moss, Kate Ceberano and Justice Crew have graced the Telethon.
Getting Involved
Individuals as well as community groups are playing a significant part in assisting Telethon in raising funds for children in Western Australia.
There are lots of ways you could raise money for the WA children. Telethon has assembled together a handy information kit for helping those who wish t assist on how to go about doing the fundraising, on how to maximize on their fundraising potential, methods of promoting an event and on how to track of the budget. Telethon encourages Community Fundraisers that are taking place during the entire year.
Your business or organization could aid Telethon towards making the lives of so lots of children in West Australian so much better. Your kind support offers much-needed backing in areas like the funding of aids and devices, new medical equipment; new facilities; medical research into diseases affecting kids; counselling and support services for young people and children.
Below are several ways your own business could assist:
- In-kind sponsorship
- Event sponsorship
- Initiating a workplace or a matched program of giving
- A yearly corporate donation
- Holding a fundraising event
- Allotment of options or shares
- Permuting your staff to become volunteer during their work hours
- Adopting a specific Telethon program to suit the specific industry or business
- Normal volunteering
- Online fundraising
- Babycinos for bambinos
