The Gift that Keeps on Giving

The Orange hospital auxiliary is a force to be reckoned with. Every year its band of volunteers raise a staggering $300,000 to $400,000 through a cafe they run in the hospital foyer.

Their contribution is so important to the quality of care offered at the regional public hospital, that the Orange Health Service quickly dismissed a proposal to replace them with a private contractor when the facility moved onto a new site in 2011. ‘They soon realised they couldn’t do without the funds,’ says Tracy Wilkinson, who was auxiliary president at the time. ‘The health department doesn’t upgrade equipment fast enough so the hospital relies heavily on the auxiliary, and we buy extra medical equipment which helps attract the best surgeons and specialists.’