Singer Leo Sayer and Raiders legend Mal Meninga helped the dollars to flow and the laughs to ring out as Can Give Day on Friday raised money for the Canberra Hospital Foundation and celebrated the national capital's frontline health workers.
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The 24-hour festival of giving was due to finish at midnight Friday, with its target of $250,000 well in sight.
Can Give Day is celebrated across Canberra Health Services, with staff fundraising with events from with bakes sales to raffles and virtual pet shows.
The public also donates via the website cangiveday.org.au
Canberra Hospital Foundation CEO Helen Falla said by late Friday, more than $238,000 had been raised, with the tally rising steadily.
"We will keep the website up for another week or so afterwards," she said. "Last year we raised $315,000, so it would be lovely if we could make that $315,000 again."
The day was also a chance for health workers to enjoy some levity after what has been a difficult year dealing with COVID.
Canberra Hospital Foundation ambassador and disco king Leo Sayer and local singer Lucy Sugerman provided the tunes as many staff dressed up in disco gear, Halloween costumes or as minions at the hospitals, COVID-testing sites at EPIC and Garran and mass vaccination clinic at the AIS.
"It was just a way to thank and applaud and celebrate the hard work of our health care workers," Ms Fallon said. "They work hard in normal circumstances, but through this pandemic, they've just been incredible. Our whole intention was to give something at the end of a really difficult year for the health care workers to have a bit of fun. I've heard some people at the AIS vaccination clinic, 'Never did I think I would come to work and have so much fun'."
The money raised is used by the foundation to support the more than 500,000 people who are hospitalised or receive treatment in Canberra each year, whether it was through funding a piece of equipment or improving amenity.
