Laundry Blues Appeal
Article By: Joel Diprose, Ten Lives
When Ten Lives needed help raising $15,000 for our laundry upgrade, Ambassador Dave Noonan enlisted the help of some unlikely heroes.
Dave brought in the fabulous Blues Brothers Revival Band to help us rally support from the public.
The aging laundry which cleans thousands of blankets and beds to a hospital grade level keeps our kitties warm and safe throughout the year.
With all the washing to do we had the laundry blues!
When a kitty is adopted or discharged from our hospital, all their bedding and blankets need to be thoroughly washed and disinfected. The washing pile, affectionately named ‘Mount Washmore’, stacks up very quickly!
We had recently installed a 35kg industrial washer, which was purchased with the assistance of a Stronger Communities Grant secured by Andrew Wilkie MP.
Now we needed to upgrade the laundry and install an industrial dryer that could keep up.
But more importantly, completing the laundry would allow us to progress to the next stage of the Building Project, our intensive care unit.
With the help of the Ten Lives Creative Team, Dave and the Blues Brothers recreated the scene from the movie where the brothers return to the orphanage and were asked to raise some money.
The scene was complete with an exceptional performance by Noonan as the head nun dressed complete in habit.
The video was released on social media and reached an audience of over 40,000 people. Soon enough, support from the public started flowing in.
Local businesses got on board including Nicole & Pete from the Paddy Wagon Hotel & Bistro Glenorchy, Cooleys Hotel Moonah, and Modern Musician Hobart.
Further funds were raised through a raffle with the first prize generously donated by Alex & Kylie at Betta Pet Systems. The prize was an outdoor cat enclosure that ticket buyers were very keen to win. Kirsten Kunz was the luck winner who got to take the enclosure home with them.
But it was the generous support of one single donor that got us across the line. The person who wished only to be known as The Hoop-Laa Lady made the donation in honour of her mother who sadly passed away. It’s with immense gratitude that we received this donation, so thank you The Hoop-Laa Lady.
With the $15,000 successfully raised, the new dryer was ordered and building work commenced in the laundry to prepare for its arrival.
The dryer has now been installed and is operational, helping to keep many a kitty cosy and dry.
Now that this stage of the Building Project has been completed we can commence work on the important
intensive care unit.
Ten Lives would like to thank all of the individuals who contributed to the Laundry Blues Appeal, along with the generous donations from local businesses and The Hoop-Laa Lady.
Of course, the appeal would not have been a possible without the skills of Dave Noonan and the Blues Brothers, real identities Stephen Ashton & Darren Sangwell.
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Ten Lives cares for thousands of cats every year. We rely on support from people just like you continue to provide care to cats in need.
What you can do to help…
Open your heart and home to become a foster carer.
Bring your skills to Ten Lives and become a volunteer.
Check out our current cats and kittens awaiting adoption.
Support us by making a donation to the centre.