Partnering for Good

Ruby Seeto has been working with Wallace Cotton since 2009, when she was an 11 year old cancer survivor, designing colourful tea towels to raise funds for Starship, our national children’s hospital.  Ruby’s tea towels have become collectors’ items over the years and her new designs are always eagerly anticipated.

Every year, Ruby creates a new design which is produced and sold by Wallace Cotton. $6 from the sale of every tea towel and $4 from the sale of every washcloth set is donated directly to the Starship Foundation. Together we have raised more than $750,000 through the sale of Ruby’s tea towels and washcloths. These funds have supported improvements to the Oncology, Medical Specialties, Neurology and Heart wards as well as the establishment of an ovarian cryopreservation banking protocol to benefit young cancer patients and upgrading the Children’s Emergency Department tearoom. Funds raised in 2023 helped support the Kōrero Pono project which provided critical insight into whānau experiences of child cancer services.

Proceeds from Ruby’s Starship Victoria Sponge Tea Towel and Washcloth Sets will help fund home hydration for adolescents and young adults following chemotherapy. This will dramatically reduce time spent in hospital for young cancer patients, allowing them to receive part of their treatment in the comfort of their own homes.