Media Centre

Over $32,000 raised and over 9,000 presents wrapped!

Publish Date: 22/01/2008
Author: Marketing and Communications Department

Baptcare's Christmas gift wrapping stalls have been a huge success for the fifth year running with $32,087.60 raised to help children and families in need!

The stalls are Baptcare's largest community fundraising event, and in 2007 stalls were run at Eastland, Highpoint, Chadstone, Forest Hill and Northland in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Over 240 volunteers donated their time to fill 570 shifts that totaled 920 hours of wrapping!

"The gift of giving was truly evident this Christmas with the community getting behind this very worthy cause" said Baptcare's Chief Executive, Jeff Davey.

"It was truly inspiring to see the diverse range of people that lent a hand in what can be the busiest time of the year. There was a very festive atmosphere at the stalls as students, retirees, stay at home mums and professional workers all came together with a common purpose: to wrap gifts for those in need", Mr Davey said.

Karen Clarke, a gift wrapper at Northland, said: “There were long lines of people and gifts everywhere waiting to be wrapped. To make the line shorter, I set up part of the stall with paper and ribbon and welcomed customers to assist with wrapping, this was a huge success! Customers were really in the Christmas spirit and very generous in giving extra donations. It was fun seeing the last minute gifts, excited children and people with gifts for charities; I can’t wait for next year!”

In total, more than 9000 presents were wrapped using hundreds of meters of wrapping paper and ribbon.

Each shopping centre generously sponsored a site for the stall lease-free, and other organisations such as Gift Packaging and Accessories and Barama provided goods such as ribbon and wrapping paper.

"This is a fantastic result and we want to thank everyone involved who generously gave in a number of different ways" Mr Davey said.

All money raised will assist Baptcare's family services division, Abercare, to help children and families in the western and northern regions of Melbourne who are in need.

A big thank you from all of Baptcare’s staff to all those people out there who volunteered and who came and wrapped their presents at our stalls. We could not have had this success without you!