Golden Casket’s partnership with Mater dates back as far as 1921, when they commenced making an annual donation of £3000 to help fund special projects such as Mater Nursery.
Since 1992, Golden Casket has donated $500 000 each year to Mater Foundation for special child health projects. This funding was utilised by Professor Brian Hills to set up the Respiratory Research Laboratory at Mater Children’s Hospital in 1994 and has since been used for a number of other initiatives, including childhood obesity and child development. This annual donation continues today and the figure now represents a total of $8.5 million.
In 2001, $200 000 was donated to Mater as part of Gold Lotto’s twentieth anniversary celebrations, to help complete the redevelopment of Mater Children’s Hospital.
More recently in 2007, Golden Casket pledged to donate a further $3.3 million over three years to Mater Foundation.
One of these ways is through matching dollar for dollar up to $500 000 worth of unclaimed prize money for our Mater Little Miracles Easter Appeal each year.
The first instalment took place in 2008 and the $1.16 million donation was used to purchase specialised equipment for the new Mater Mothers’ Hospital which will enable early detection of fetal heart rate problems.
In 2009 and 2010, the million dollar donations supported Mater Mothers’ Research Centre (MMRC) to fund some of their 170 projects including, scholarships and fellowships and to establish significant endowment funds for the future.
Acting Director of the MMRC Associate Professor Vicki Flenady said, “With one in seven Queenslanders born at Mater Mothers’ Hospital, Mater has a long history in maternity services and this funding will help continue the vital work of providing specialist care to thousands of women and babies each year”.
Golden Casket’s Chief Executive Bill Thorburn said, “Golden Casket is very proud to make this donation from unclaimed prize money and profits to assist Mater Mothers’ Research Centre which will help secure the future of Queensland babies.”
In addition to the funding that has been provided over the years, Golden Casket staff have an affinity with Mater, having participated in corporate volunteering at the hospital.