RECORD DAY ON SAND
THE Gold Coast has raised more than $20,000 to help rescue, rehabilitate and release koalas back into the wild.
A crowd of 620 people attended the 3km Gemlife Beach Parade at Burleigh Heads on Sunday with more than 900 registering for the event and donating.
Parade organisers are awaiting official confirmation on their world record attempt to have the most people wearing koala ear visors in a beach parade.
Event director Leanne St George said the Gold Coast raised a total of $20,500 to support the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.
“Gold Coast you did it,” Ms St George said.
She said she wanted to emphasise the community drive behind the event.
“I started thinking of this just after the bushfires,” Ms St George said.
“This has been the first huge community event (for the koalas) since.”
It costs approximately $7000 to rehabilitate a koala and release them back into the wild.
“We have saved three koalas today and this is just the first event,” she said.
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital senior veterinarian Michael Pyne earlier told the Bulletin they treated in excess of 600 koalas in a year and were struggling for funding.
“Koalas don't come cheap, so every dollar will help,” Dr Pyne said. “We can get caught up in what we do and its lovely to see everyone doing what they can and supporting us.”
Ambassador for Currumbin Wildlife Hospital and Co-Founder of Fund my Challenge Lincoln Lewis said it was hard not to join in.
“When you see the amazing work Currumbin Wildlife Hospital do, you can’t help but jump at it,” Mr Lewis said.