UnLtd unites the industry for good at the third annual Big Dream gala with over $554k raised

| | No Comments
UnLtd unites the industry for good at the third annual Big Dream gala with over $554k raised

After a year of highs and lows, social purpose organisation UnLtd united the industry for an evening of ‘light and dark’ at the third annual Big Dream gala on Friday at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney.

 

Over 650 people from across the media, marketing and creative industries gathered for a night of entertainment, fundraising and a chance to reflect on an impactful year.

UnLtd celebrated a major milestone – over $120 million in social impact value has been raised by the industry since its inception 15 years ago, $60 million of that was generated in the last two years.

Yahoo was inducted into the Hall of Good for their long-standing contributions to UnLtd and Musicians Making A Difference, with the charity sitting at the heart of the business’ strategy. In addition, Accenture Interactive was awarded a Good Campaign award for its role in launching MOOD Tea and Kerry McCabe was honoured for his transformative work in uniting the industry for good.

Says Paul Sigaloff, vice president at Yahoo ANZ INSEA: “What an absolute honour to receive this recognition. Advertising for good is not some airy philosophy, it’s integrated into every facet of our business and it’s how we show up at Yahoo every day. And we’re not alone, with Accenture Interactive setting another standard and the ever-inspiring Kerry McCabe’s relentless dedication. What an incredible evening, I left with a sense of pride and fire in my belly to do even more next year!”

A record $554,000 was raised on the night for UnLtd’s charities, up a whopping 36% from the previous event. The raffle, live auction, and pledge drew plenty of action as the industry generously showed their support.

Attendees had the chance to see the impact of their ongoing support first hand. Maddie Lee, a Batyr spokesperson, opened the event sharing her personal mental health journey and Lana Masterson from Down The Track described emotional stories of lives transformed through their programs. Performances by Musician Making a Difference ambassador Libby Ingels plus Horrorshow and Seann Miley Moore also captivated the crowd.

Says Chris Freel, CEO at UnLtd: “My nana always said to me that when times get tough you see the truth in people. Well, times have been tough for most of us recently, and what we have witnessed is that our industry has reacted to adversity by helping those in need more than ever. Thank you all!”

As the FY21 Impact Report further reveals, this year alone the industry has helped provide:

– $28.7m in social impact value
– Support to 25 charities across Australia
– 9,350 programs to help young people at risk
– 9,720 hours of skilled volunteering
– 750 hours of unskilled volunteering

UnLtd thanks presenting partners Snap & Val Morgan, and sponsors ACM, Network Ten, Nova Entertainment, The Guardian, Think Premium Digital and Yahoo. They also thank all the generous partners who donated items for the live auction and raffle.

UnLtd unites the industry for good at the third annual Big Dream gala with over $554k raised