Australian Tongans give $224,454 to Vaiola Hospital [1]
Friday, June 8, 2007 - 20:28. Updated on Monday, July 20, 2015 - 17:04.
Vaiola Hospital was presented with $224,454 by the Hospital Board of Visitors this morning.
The Hon. Luani, for the Board of Visitors presented the cheque to Dr Taniela Palu of the Ministry of Health.
Dr Palu said that the money would be used to buy needed equipment for the laundry room and the kitchen of the hospital.
The Vaiola Hospital Board of Visitors annually raise funds within Tonga for the hospital, but recently the Board decided to venture out to the Tongan communities overseas. Late last year, Noble Luani and other members of the board, Sr Sulia Nonu, Father Likio 'Atiola, Paula Foliaki and Father Taniela Foliaki went on a fund-raising campaign in Australia.
Hon Luani said that throughout their whole fundraising campaign, "it was just amazing the huge amount of donations that were made by the Tongan communities that they visited in Australia."
He said they collected amounts ranging from $64,662 pa'anga from the Tongan Community in Sydney, $60,000 pa'anga from the Tongan Catholic Community in Sydney, and $36,312 pa'anga from the Tongan community in Brisbane.
He said that $28,604 was raised by the Tongan communities in Robinvale and Canberra, and $16,630 pa'anga was raised in a radiothon in Sydney. The Tongan community in Canberra donated another $12,131, the Griffith community raised $5,964, and $151 was donated by individuals.
The Vaiola Hospital's Board of Visitors has recently elected a new Chairman, Archdeacon 'Epalahame Vea, who took over from Bishop Soane Lilo Foliaki.
The Board plans to launch another fund-raising campaign in New Zealand next year.