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Record donations given out to Telethon family

Proud record: Kerry Stokes with 2014 Telethon Kids Emily Prior and Patrick Majewski. Picture: Simon Santi/The West Australian

It was the best day of the year yesterday for the WA Telethon family as a record $25,271,542 in donations was distributed between 45 deserving beneficiaries.

Charities and organisations were given a financial shot in the arm that would help them continue to give WA children longer, better lives.

The funding has already been made available but it was made public yesterday at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, where Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes spoke of his pride in the WA institution.

"I'm always overawed and amazed when we get the support - kids who actually walk marathons and go out in the rain and try to raise funds and the major corporates who come along and make sure we get large enough donations to do the work we need to do," Mr Stokes said. "You've only got to see the kids here today and see their stories and you'll understand why they do that."

The amount of money raised over the Telethon weekend last October beat the previous record by nearly $5 million - astonishing given the economic uncertainty of the past 12 months.

After 47 years, Telethon is only gaining momentum and Mr Stokes said that continuity was critical to the success of the "Telethon promise" to make a difference.

He thanked the growing number of "million- dollar partners" for their generosity but said the lifeblood of Telethon - the world's most generous telethon per capita - was children and their pocket money.

"We'll never have as many million-dollar partners as we'll have children with their pocket money and we'll never have anyone as important as children with their pocket money," he said. "When it comes together, it makes a huge difference."

Mr Stokes also voiced his pleasure at the way rival organisations from a range of industries put their differences aside each year to promote Telethon and do it for the kids.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann was at the PCEC on behalf of the Federal Government, which donated $1 million. He said it was heartwarming to get an insight into how far and wide the impact of Telethon reached across WA.

"Obviously, there is a real need there when it comes to children's health and it's very special to be part of it," Senator Cormann said.

"Telethon has been part of the WA public for so many decades and I think it's just going from strength to strength. You've got parents now who have been part of Telethon as children and their children are now contributing."

A video package told the story of six seriously ill WA children, tugging at the heartstrings of everyone in the audience and reminding them of the vital role generosity played in the community.

Premier Colin Barnett said that by the time the next Telethon weekend came around, the Perth Children's Hospital would be up and running.

He said the world-renowned Telethon Kids Institute - one of Telethon's major beneficiaries - would soon have a new home at the hospital.

"When you get the opportunity to see the new children's hospital, I think you'll be pleased with the investment this State has made and in large part it's because of all the work you do in either raising funds or researching or caring for children," Mr Barnett said.