Penguin Parade auction raises £540,000
The funds will help support Maggie’s centre in Dundee for a year.
Last updated 25th Sep 2018
Maggie’s Penguin Parade has raised £540,000 for Maggie’s at a live auction.
The total auction figure alone is enough to fund the charity’s Dundee centre for a whole year.
The 80 charming, life sized sculptures, plus two mini ones, found new homes all over Scotland and beyond following the event at V&A Dundee.
The Maggie’s Penguin Parade, a public art trail created between Maggie’s and Wild in Art, went live at the end of June. Since then there have been 5000 apps downloaded and 210,000 interactions with the sculptures
Maggie’s Dundee Fundraising Board Chair Shirley Linton said: “Ever since I first had the idea for a penguin art trail in Dundee I had a feeling it would be special.
“It has been a huge team effort over the last few years, but I am so pleased at how well the penguins have been received and completely humbled by the amount they have raised to help people in Dundee live well with cancer.”
Maggie’s Chief Executive Laura Lee said: “It has been an inspiring and uplifting way of raising essential funds for our cancer support centre in Dundee while also informing a whole new audience of the free practical and emotional support available at Maggie’s across Scotland and the rest of the UK.”
Charlie Langhorne, Director of Wild in Art said: “Maggie’s Penguin Parade has been a signature event for Wild in Art. We are proud of our association with Maggie’s and indeed with the community of Dundee who have embraced this event with such warmth. The money raised tonight will literally change people’s lives and we are delighted to support Maggie’s in their vital work.”
The penguins were then gathered together at Slessor Gardens, with the 100 mini penguins which had been decorated by school children across the Tayside area, for a spectacular Farewell Weekend attended by more than 20,000 people.
Built in the grounds of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Maggie’s Dundee is a warm and welcoming place, with qualified professionals on hand to offer an evidence-based core programme of support that has been shown to improve physical and emotional wellbeing.
Maggie’s Dundee relies on voluntary donations to support and grow its network of Centres and to develop its unique, high quality programme of support. The charity’s aim is to make the biggest difference possible to people living with cancer and their family and friends