By Alesha Capone
The first-ever Mercy Cup football match and ladies lunch has raised $4700 to go towards the purchase of life-saving equipment for Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Werribee Districts Football Club and Wyndhamvale FC battled it out on the field for the inaugural Mercy Cup at the weekend.
Werribee Districts claimed the trophy with a 16.10 (106)-8.11 (59) win.
But the big winner on the day was the Werribee Hospital Foundation.
Money raised from the match will help the Werribee Hospital Foundation buy an advanced hemostasis analyser, a machine which analyses the coagulation of blood.
Werribee Mercy Hospital perioperative services nurse unit manager Carmela Joyce said the analysing unit would help clinicians manage “life-threatening bleeding” and “minimise risk and expedite patient care”.
“The analysing unit will cost $40,000 and we are so pleased the Werribee Hospital Foundation, along with the support of the local community, is making the purchase possible,” Ms Joyce said.
Werribee Mercy perioperative educator Nicole Whiting, who organised the sold-out ladies lunch, said they hoped the money raised from the Mercy Cup would be boosted to $5000 when added to an online campaign being run by Mercy Cup ambassador, Werribee Districts player Gavin Donnan.
Club president Murray Smith wants the community to get behind the campaign.
“As a club, with over 350 local families, it is important that we get behind the hospital,” Mr Smith said.
See www.werribeehospitalfoundation.com.au or www.everydayhero.com.au/event/MercyCup to make a donation.
