Brainwave Australia Marks 30th Anniversary with $206,000 Raised at Great Gatsby Gala

Brainwave Australia's 30th Anniversary Gala Raises Largest Donations Since 2018

Peanut Productions - Creating events that emotively connect brands to people

Brainwave Australia - the only national charity in Australia dedicated to supporting families impacted by childhood brain conditions

Sold-out National Gallery of Victoria event delivered with five years of pro bono creative and production support from Peanut Productions

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, September 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Brainwave Australia marked its 30th anniversary with a sold-out Great Gatsby Gala at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), raising more than $206,000 for children with brain conditions and their families - Brainwave's strongest Gala result since 2018, up from a five-year high of around $111,000.

The impressive total was raised by more than 300 guests through a live and silent auction, ticket sales, pledges and donations on the night, and will go directly toward Brainwave's national programs supporting children with complex neurological disorders and brain injuries. Brainwave Australia is the only national charity in Australia dedicated to supporting families impacted by childhood brain conditions.

Brainwave Australia's Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, Kristin Flanagan, said the evening reflected both the strength of the Brainwave community and the generosity of those who stand alongside its families.

“Over the past 30 years, Brainwave has grown from one family's determination to help others into a national community supporting more than 1,900 children and their families.

“To raise more than $206,000 in one evening is an incredible result and our strongest Gala fundraising total in recent years. These funds will help Brainwave continue to wrap support around the whole family, from equipment and therapy funding to hospital assistance, family programs and connection with others who understand what they are going through.

“We are enormously grateful to Michael Mastrodimos and the entire Peanut Productions team. Their creativity, generosity and commitment over the past five years have helped bring our Gala back to life, while Michael's generous pledge made a significant contribution to this year's result.

“We also thank the Roberts family for generously sharing their experience and helping our guests understand what it means to have Brainwave standing alongside a family.”

Five Years of Pro Bono Partnership

This year's gala was delivered with pro bono creative production, event design, video production, videography and technical delivery from experiential agency Peanut Productions, marking the fifth consecutive year the agency has supported Brainwave's flagship fundraiser, representing more than $100,000 in pro bono value over that time. Over that period, Peanut Productions has worked alongside Brainwave's leadership team to grow the annual gala into the charity's largest single fundraising event in recent years.

For the 30th anniversary gala, Peanut Productions designed a 1920s Gatsby-themed evening at NGV beneath Gandel Hall's Leonard French stained-glass ceiling, including a red-carpet arrival at the NGV water wall with live jazz and custom AI photo booth, a custom 30-year anniversary retrospective video connecting guests to the families Brainwave supports, and the sold-out "Light Up the Night" activation, with Tim Campbell performing on the night.

The evening's program was supported by partners including Mercedes-Benz Australia, Penfolds, Coopers Brewery, Rob Dolan Wines, IVE Group and DPM Financial Services, with entertainment from Nine's Stephanie Anderson as MC, auctioneer Shawn Cosgrove and comedian Anthony Lehmann.

The live auction, which drove the bulk of the evening's total, opened with a $10,000 pledge from Peanut Productions Founder & Creative Director Michael Mastrodimos, before bidding continued across silent lots, bespoke experiences and pledges from the 300 guests in the room.

“After five years of supporting Brainwave, I'm incredibly proud of how this partnership has evolved and of the contribution our team continues to make, strategically, creatively and financially,” says Michael Mastrodimos, Founder & Creative Director of Peanut Productions. “It meant a great deal to me to open the fundraising with Peanut Productions' $10,000 pledge, and to see the generosity that followed help raise $206,000 was extraordinary, because ultimately, every dollar means Brainwave can reach further and support more families when they need it most.”

Supporting Families Nationwide

Funds raised at the gala will help Brainwave continue to wrap support around the whole family through practical assistance, equipment and therapy funding, hospital support, trusted information, family programs and offering meaningful connection opportunities with others who understand what they are going through.

For more information or to support Brainwave Australia, visit brainwave.org.au.

To learn more about Peanut Productions, visit peanutproductions.com.au.

Kristine Chompff
Peanut Productions
kristinec@peanutproductions.com.au
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