Doing it for the kids

IGA retailers are well known for giving back and supporting their local communities and through the IGA Community Chest and associated programs, we’ve raised well over $96 million to support those local communities, charities, and other worthwhile causes. But according to Terry Karkazis, proud owner of IGA Deakin and Drakeford, The Humpty Dumpty Foundation is special for a number of reasons.

Like the reason Terry discovered Humpty in the first place. Having a young daughter with leukemia meant he spent many years in and out of hospital. Terry says: “I noticed the machines in the hospitals and saw the signs on them. Some of the machines had been there quite a few years and some were quite new. You could tell by the age of the stickers on them.”

And the stickers read Humpty Dumpty Foundation. Terry’s firsthand experience led him to find out more about the charity.

“I thought this was a tangible difference – the way this organisation was doing it”, Terry explained.

“We did further research and found that Humpty donated what the hospital actually needs. It felt really relevant, and a real effort was done to support our community. Also, they are spread across the country, just like IGA stores are.”

This led to a partnership in NSW and the ACT, and over the past 5 years, IGA have been passionate supporters of The Humpty Dumpty Foundation. To date IGA have donated close to $1,000,000, purchasing 61 pieces of lifesaving equipment for sick and injured children in 33 hospitals across Australia.

In NSW, the Humpty Dumpty Foundation is the largest supplier of children’s medical equipment, behind the State Government, and is working hard with the community to ensue other states and the Northern Territory have the equipment they need.

Right now, our hospitals continue to be under extreme pressure due to COVID-19. The highly infectious Delta variant is impacting babies and children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in rural and remote communities and Humpty Dumpty need support to get equipment to where it is most needed. 

IGA retailers recently rallied together once again in NSW to donate another $30,000 which was used to purchase seven pieces of equipment for hospitals in Bathurst, Griffith, Armidale, and Liverpool. However, they need more support and together we can do so much more.