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Australia and New Zealand's largest linen Party Plan company, Lorraine Lea Linen, this morning handed over their $115,000 donation to the Starship Oncology Rebuild project.

The linen specialists raised the money through their Party for Kids with Cancer® initiative, which runs in August each year. Consultants and Hosts from parties are encouraged to donate to the fund and the total is donated to a different children's cancer hospital or project each year.

This year they put the challenge to their consultants in Australia and New Zealand to raise funds for their first New Zealand cause – the rebuild of Starship Hospital's cancer unit – and specifically the provision of eight single inpatient rooms for pre-teen patients who need the space to recover away from much younger patients.

“For the last few years since we have been active in New Zealand, our consultants there have been supporting fundraising for Australian hospitals. With Starship as the recipient this year, our Australian consultants were very pleased to finally be returning the favour,” says Lorraine Lea CEO Adrian Ryan.

Adrian also put the challenge to Starship patron Lucy Lawless in a bed making competition in Starship's Atrium area today.

Starship staff and patients watched the amusing challenge as they raced to make the neatest bed in just two minutes.

The contest was judged by Starship Foundation Vice Chair Rosie Horton and past oncology patient Ruby Seeto. In the interests of preserving Australasian relations Rosie announced a “dead heat” between Lucy and Adrian.

Starship Foundation CEO Andrew Young says “The donation from Lorraine Lea Linen is a great way to acknowledge this huge contribution to our cause. We're so grateful that even our Australian counterparts are getting on board for this worthy project.”

The money will make a significant contribution to the building project which is now underway.