Coles Liquor has revealed the results of one of its most successful fundraising efforts to date, raising more than $125,000 over one weekend in support of Clean Up Australia.
Over the Clean Up Australia Day weekend earlier this month, Coles Liquor pledged 25 cents from transactions at Liquorland, First Choice and First Choice Liquor Market stores across the country in donation to Clean Up Australia, to support volunteer action throughout the whole year.
The initiative came from Coles Liquor’s ‘Drop of Good’ campaign which is part of the company’s strategy to actively contribute to sustainability in the local community. Funds raised in this instance will go towards kits that volunteers will use to clean up local parks, beaches and other outdoor spaces, including with the use of biodegradable bags, gloves and a high-vis vest.
In addition to the funds raised, Coles Liquor team members also got out on the same weekend to participate in the clean up effort. Coles Liquor General Manager Operations Steve Hugginson said the team has been excited to see the impact of the initiative as a whole.
“This is the first time we’ve supported Clean Up Australia through our ‘Drop of Good’ campaign and we’re grateful to our customers and team members for helping us to raise an incredible $125,149 in just one weekend,” Hugginson said.
“We were delighted to see our team members get involved too and band together to make a difference in their own communities by taking part in Clean Up Australia Day and picking up litter in their local area.
“We’d like to thank everyone involved for taking time out of their weekends and participating in what is the nation’s largest community-based environmental event.”
Established 30 years ago by renowned environmentalist Ian Kiernan AO, Clean Up Australia held the first national Clean Up Australia Day in 1990 and has since become committed to both removing rubbish from the environment and preventing it entering said environments in the first place. The organisation has evolved into one that works with businesses, communities and government to provide practical and sustainable strategies for Australians to live by.
Since 2018, Coles Group as a whole has raised more than $590,000 for Clean Up Australia. Chairman Pip Kiernan said this help, including that of Coles Liquor this month, is invaluable to Clean Up Australia’s mission.
“It is wonderful to see the ‘Drop of Good’ campaign being channelled to such practical and direct support of community action. The funds raised over the weekend help us to continue to provide free Clean Up Australia materials to our thousands of volunteers across Australia all year round,” Kiernan said.
“It was exciting to see Coles Liquor teams Step Up across the country – a clear demonstration that they understand what being part of a community is all about.”
“We know our waste problems won’t be solved in one day, which is why thousands of Aussies make every day a Clean Up Day by revisiting their favourite locations to keep them clean throughout the year.”