More than $200,000 was donated to Footscray’s Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) on Monday during a telethon to mark World Refugee Day.
The ASRC smashed their first ever telethon target of $100,000 and, by the close of phone lines at 9pm, had raised $201,272.
The donations to the refugees centre will help provide more than 6000 hours of legal assistance.
Tamie Fraser, widow of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, was joined on the phones by show business personalities, such as Brian Nankervis, and musicians including John Butler and Sampa the Great.
ASRC founder and chief executive Kon Karapanagiotidis said the phones had been ringing hot for 14 hours from every state.
“For everyone we spoke to today, it wasn’t about money,” he said.
“For everyone we spoke to, it was about wanting to reclaim compassion, wanting to be proud of their country, wanting to stand up for refugees, being sick and tired of the fact our politicians weren’t.”
Donations can still be made via www.asrc.org.au.
Refugee Week continues across Maribyrnong, with an event at Braybrook Community Hub 10.30am–noon Thursday, a talk by Kirsty Sword Gusmão at Footscray Library 6.30-7.30pm Thursday, and the relaunch of the Phoenix Youth Hub 4pm Friday.
