Harmony Primary School students perform the 'Together Moment' sponsored by ECU.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) supported the 'Together Moment' at the Telethon Weekend 2025, helping to raise a record-breaking $90,160,275 for sick, vulnerable, and disadvantaged children.
In another first, this year's Telethon broadcast was watched by more people than ever before, reaching over 1.242 million viewers nationwide.
ECU staff demonstrated the values that underpin our University by engaging with the event in multiple ways.
ECU's presence at Telethon Weekend
In addition to sponsoring the uplifting 'Together Moment', where children from Harmony Primary School performed a wonderful rendition of Elton John's 'I'm still standing', ECU staff and students were in attendance and participating in the crowd.
ECU's Operations Manager of Office of Development and Alumni Relations, Amy Blundell, was at Telethon and spoke of the benefits of ECU's partnership.
"It was wonderful to partner with Telethon on the 'Together Moment' segment this year.
"Our partnership with Telethon is not just about a single 'Together Moment'. ECU is committed to working with Telethon for the long term to help improve the health and wellbeing of our children, families and communities through research and education programs," Ms Blundell said.
L-R Asten Watson-Jones, Hannah Weir, Amy Blundell, Taj Boutin (3 years), Naomi Mlambo, Tilly Borbely
ECU students, Ellie Palmer (Bachelor of Journalism and Broadcast Media) and Jo Milios (Master of News and Entertainment Media), took the opportunity to engage in the work-integrated learning (WIL) program by hosting the phone room and being involved in other backstage roles. This allowed them to gain valuable experience while giving back to the community.
The impact of giving
ECU's partnership with Telethon goes beyond the event and the funds raised. The indelible impression that Telethon funding has had on the University and the wider community is evident by the number of projects with real impact that have been made possible.
Happy kids through the Happy Parenting Program
Through Telethon's support, ECU researchers have been able to work with parents and offer interactive workshops for families with babies and toddlers, these centre around the respectful approach to creating secure and responsive environments for families.
Little Aussie Bugs
A project from the ECU Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, Little Aussie Bugs, is a multi-disciplinary team of researchers that provides educational materials that build healthy habits during pre-school years, ranging from oral hygiene to diet.
Pregnancy to Parenthood Clinic
Pregnancy to Parenthood (P2P) transitioned into a not-for-profit organisation providing parent and childhood (0-3 years) mental health support, in particular during periods of emotional turmoil. This program equips parents and children with the skills to manage the demands of family life.
Phenocycler-Fusion system
The Phenocycler-Fusion 2.0 system incorporates state of the art high speed imaging and proprietary barcoding technology and is the only one of its kind in Western Australia (WA). This was made possible through Telethon co-funding in 2023.
The system allows doctors and scientists to have a much deeper understanding of what is happening inside tissues and cells, such as exactly how cancer spreads inside the tissue, how new medicines affect cells in real time and the implementation of more tailored treatments.
ECU has been a proud host of the Telethon Community Cinema at the Joondalup Campus for 6 years. If you would like to participate in this wonderful initiative, you can volunteer your time. Please download an application form for more information.
For more information on supporting initiatives such as the ones above, please reach out to the Development team on development@ecu.edu.au or visit Giving to ECU.
Watch the 'Together Moment'.
